Turmeric has long been used as a medicinal remedy for treating indigestion in South East Asia. Until now there have not been any studies comparing it to conventional drugs – but researchers say this trial could pave the way for clinical use.
Turmeric could be just as effective for treating indigestion as medicine, a study suggests.
The spice contains a naturally active compound called curcumin, which has long been thought to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties
It has long been used as a medicinal remedy – including for treating indigestion – in South East Asia.
But until now there had not been any reviews comparing the natural remedy with conventional drugs.
Now a study, published in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, has found turmeric could be as good as omeprazole for reducing excess stomach acid.
Proton pumps are enzymes in the lining of your stomach that help it make acid to digest food.
Omeprazole prevents proton pumps working properly, reducing the amount of acid the stomach makes.
Researchers recruited 206 patients aged 18-70 with recurrent indigestion from hospitals in Thailand between 2019 and 2021.
Researchers found patients in all three groups experienced a similar improvement in their symptoms.
No serious side effects were reported, although liver function tests indicated some level of deterioration among overweight patients taking turmeric..
The researchers acknowledged the small size of the study and other limitations, including the short intervention period and lack of long-term monitoring data. Further larger, long term studies are needed, they said.
They concluded though that the trial “provides highly reliable evidence for the treatment of functional dyspepsia”.
The findings may justify using turmeric in clinical practice, they said.
SOURCE: SKY News
