Turmeric's magic talked down by the mainstream
Re: "Toning up with turmeric", XP, August 4.
The interesting article on turmeric came to us from a mainstream source. Mainstream publications usually protect the pharmaceutical and food industries while subtly discrediting “alternatives”. For instance the article asserted that, “There is no guarantee that turmeric’s ingredients will work on everybody.”
In India, millions of turmeric-consuming people bathe in the polluted River Ganges without any ill effects. Yet when two Western visitors recently tried this, they ended up spending days in hospital. The article warns not to exceed a daily dose of 2,000 milligrams. Yet, to reduce e-coli bacteria in cancer patients, naturopathic doctor HR Clark proposes taking 3,000mg three times daily. Japanese researchers this year found that test subjects who took 3,000mg of turmeric twice a day “repaired” their sun-damaged skin’s solar keratosis and brown spots. I consume this same dose (one teaspoon at breakfast one at dinner) to “repair” my skin and for its other benefits.
The article suggests there hasn’t been enough scientific research on turmeric’s health benefits. If that were so, why has a pharmaceutical company synthesised a new molecule, CNB-001, from curcumin, the key chemical component of turmeric? In laboratory experiments, CNB-001 showed mechanisms effective in protecting and regenerating brain cells in stroke victims.
Thomas Turk
