Curcumin and IBD

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I am frequently asked (in practice and in my day-to-day life) what foods one should eat for their anti-inflammatory benefits. Many expect me to respond with the various vegetables, fruits, fats, fish etc. that are more commonly known for their anti-inflammatory properties, but they are not expecting my answer “fresh herbs and spices.” I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up eating a wide variety of herbs or spices. In my adult life as a dietitian, I have grown to greatly appreciate their taste in the foods I eat and their health benefits.

During my dietetic internship, my fun, “granola” housemate (also an intern) added turmeric to everything she cooked with. Naturally, I decided to as well. This same roommate had me up at 5 am jogging the dark streets of Sacramento, CA and biking to work. She taught me a lot about health and nutrition… Anyways, back to turmeric.

Turmeric is an herb in the ginger family. It is mostly grown in the Southern and Southwestern parts of Asia and is used in Indian, Iranian, Malaysian, Polynesian, Thai and Chinese cuisines. Turmeric gives curries their beautiful yellow/golden color. Turmeric is considered a nutraceutical because of its medicinal properties found in a component of the herb, curcumin.

Is Curcumin the same as Cumin?

No, simply put. Cumin is a spice derived from the parsley family. It also contains health benefits, but it is completely separate from Curcumin.

The Research?

Curcumin is a hot topic amongst researchers for various disease states (see below) for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer effects and much more!.

We will focus on gut-related inflammation given this is my passion and specialty. In a review published this year in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, researchers discussed the potential protective effects of curcumin on intestinal inflammatory diseases, specifically inflammatory bowel disease and necrotizing enterocolitis. The authors discuss how curcumin may modulate the immune system through its numerous beneficial effects on the microbiome, its antioxidant capabilities and ultimately improving the permeability of the intestines. As always, larger scale, controlled clinical trials are needed to determine the possible role of curcumin in treatment of gastrointestinal inflammation.

Should I supplement?

In the nutrition world, there is no Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for herbs and spices.  Therefore, it is hard to say what the daily (or weekly) recommended intake should be for turmeric/curcumin. It is a popular supplement as it is affordable and has not shown toxic side effects in humans up to doses of 12 gm/day (International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2019). That being said, I am a fan of incorporating as much variety into the diet as possible. A varied diet consisting of various protein sources, vegetables, fruits, complex carbohydrates, FATS, HERBS and SPICES contributes to a varied/diverse microbiome – the ultimate probiotic.

This week, I will be diving into this herb with fun new recipes to try! For a recipe now, visit my Smoothie Love blog post.

How do you use turmeric in your diet? I am all ears!

2 Comments

  1. Kayleah Hockett on October 2, 2019 at 3:12 am

    Hello, Kim! My mother-in-law drinks a Golden Milk Tea (Milk of your choice, curcumin or fresh turmeric, fresh ginger, honey and cinnamon) every day to help with inflammation and joint pain. She says it has helped immensely with her joint pain since she stopped taking pharmaceutical drugs.

    • Kim Braly on October 18, 2020 at 9:37 pm

      I love it! This is a wonderful practice and health benefit that you mother in law has found. Thank you for sharing.

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Hi! I'm Kim Braly, RD, a clinical researcher and IBD Nutrition Consultant. I specialize in cutting-edge dietary therapies for inflammatory bowel disease that have been shown in multicenter trials to decrease inflammation, alleviate IBD symptoms and induce remission. I'm passionate about offering this effective new option to patients and their families with my 3D-Dietary™ Approach for IBD and helping to usher in a new era of IBD treatment through mentoring and research trial consultation. Let's see what diet can do for you.

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