Turmeric Spice for Diabetes Treatment

Recent medical research into new treatments for diabetes is taking a look at turmeric. It is too soon to know how useful an increase in turmeric in the diet could be, but the research shows promise for complementary therapies.

What Is Turmeric?

• Turmeric comes from a plant belonging to the Zingiberacae family, making it a cousin of the ginger plant. The active chemical component is curcumin. As a spice, it is usually used in savory dishes and gives food a rich golden-yellow color. Turmeric has been used in ayurvedic medicine for centuries.

Diabetes Research

• Researchers at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center found that mice treated with turmeric had better glucose and insulin tolerance and better blood glucose levels.

Anti-inflammatory Effect

• Earlier research at the center showed that immune cells called macrophages were found in fat tissue. These cells produce cytokine molecules that cause inflammation in the pancreas and increase insulin resistance. The researchers theorize that curcumin suppresses the macrophages, lowering the inflammatory response.

Other Uses

• Turmeric has long been used in folk medicine to relieve inflammation, heal wounds and relieve pain. Curcumin has been associated with a small but significant decline in body weight and fat content, even when calorie consumption is not cut.

Precautions

• Turmeric is generally considered safe. There are no known toxicities with doses of up at 12 grams daily, although it may cause indigestion in high doses. Liver problems have been seen in animals given high doses, but no cases have been reported in humans. People with gallbladder problems should avoid turmeric because it may their worsen symptoms.