Ask Health: Do Turmeric Supplements Work?

One of our editors decided to spice things up by trying turmeric supplements for 30 days.

Medical review by Susan Fisher, MS

Turmeric has many benefits thanks to curcumin, a chemical compound found in the spice that has anti-inflammatory properties.
I tried turmeric supplements last month to see if they could help with the three conditions I have.
My results were mixed, but it was helpful enough that I continued to take the supplement daily.
Always consult your health care professional and do your research before trying a new supplement.

Jamie Wolfe, MA, is a health editor with a Masters of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Integrative Therapy. Studies show that turmeric can reduce inflammation, so Jamie wanted to see if taking the supplement could help reduce the symptoms of her chronic pain.

As a former health coach who has been involved in health for decades, I have taken many supplements over the years, including turmeric. Turmeric is a brightly colored spice commonly used in Indian cooking, but you can also take it as a supplement.

Turmeric has many benefits thanks to curcumin, a chemical compound found in the spice that has anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation occurs when your immune system reacts to potentially harmful substances in the body. In the short term, this can cause symptoms such as redness or swelling. Over time, this can cause symptoms such as joint pain, depression or anxiety, and insomnia.

But does eating turmeric make a significant difference to your health?

To answer this question, I tried taking a turmeric pill for 30 days to see if it could reduce the symptoms of three conditions I suffer from: asthma, anxiety, and psoriasis. My results were mixed, but one change surprised me.

Related: How Is Psoriasis Treated?

Before we begin

Turmeric is a relatively safe supplement. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), taking 4,000 to 8,000 milligrams of curcumin per day is "generally safe."

If, like me, you suffer from inflammatory conditions, stress, arthritis, or autoimmune conditions like psoriasis, you may benefit from turmeric.

However, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that the health benefits of turmeric are still unclear and there may be some risks. example:

Turmeric may reduce your body's ability to absorb certain medications, such as cancer or heart disease.
Turmeric may increase side effects when taken with medications such as antidepressants and allergy medications.
Research has not yet confirmed whether turmeric is safe for pregnant or breastfeeding women.

You should always consult your doctor before taking any supplement, especially if you are taking other medications or supplements. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you make sure your medications don't interact with each other.

I will try the pepper

I decided to try a turmeric supplement for 30 days to see if it would improve the symptoms of three conditions I had: asthma, anxiety, and psoriasis.

Turmeric helps reduce the symptoms of these three conditions that I have been trying to manage for several years.

However, research in these areas is relatively limited, and most studies have been conducted on animals or in vitro (human cells in petri dishes). However, the results are encouraging, especially for those (like me) who have tried a long list of treatments with good success.

My goals were as follows.

Plaque Psoriasis: Fewer new plaques and less hair loss are associated with scalp psoriasis.
Asthma: Shortness of breath, especially during or after exercise, and episodes of multiple inhaler use.
Anxiety: Fewer episodes of overt symptoms including anxiety, irritability, and restlessness

Asthma: Chronic lung disease causes the airways to swell and narrow, making it difficult to breathe.

Anxiety: Excessive anxiety is a common mental health problem

Psoriasis: an autoimmune skin disease that causes inflammation

Selection of additional foods

I chose Thorn Curcumin Phytosome. I always do my research before trying new supplements and Thor is a well known brand that I have used before.

I also chose Thorne's Turmeric Supplement because:

Because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate dietary supplements, you may want to look for brands that have undergone third-party testing of their products. "It's important to choose reputable brands that undergo third-party testing to ensure quality and purity," says Crystal Scott, RD, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist.

Note that Torn Photisom Curcumin does not contain black pepper, which helps the body absorb curcumin. "Turmeric has been shown to be bioavailable when combined with black pepper," nutritionist and health expert Shawna McQueen told me. However, the Thor supplement contains phospholipid (a type of fat molecule) derived from sunflower, which aids in absorption.

I decided to take turmeric every morning after breakfast. Each capsule contains 1,000 milligrams (mg) of curcumin, more than other curcumin supplements. The instructions suggest taking one or two capsules per day. I erred on the side of caution and took one capsule a day because of my sensitive stomach.

Related: Top 10 Turmeric Supplements to Fight Inflammation, According to Experts

Results

I will post the results each week:

Taking weekly photos of the psoriasis on my back (one of the frequent ones) and making notes about new symptoms on my scalp and legs (the other two frequent ones).
Record the number of times you feel short of breath or use your breath
Write down how often you have visible signs of anxiety

Here are my notes:

	Psoriasis	Asthma	Illusion
First week	In general, about the same	Units: 3 Breath: 0	1
Second week	The back looks a little worse. New leg covers	Units: 2 Breath: 0	1
Third week	The back is almost the same. New spots on legs, back and head	Units: 0 Breath: 0	0
Fourth week	The back is more beautiful. New footrests and headrests	Units: 0 Breath: 0	0

Overall, I consider my results "mixed". Despite having a sensitive stomach, I had no side effects, which was a plus.

Here is a summary of my results for each goal:

Psoriasis: My psoriasis hasn't changed much. Some areas were cleaned up a bit, but a lot of tiles came out. I usually call too.
Asthma: I have minor shortness of breath. Anyway, it's been slowly getting better over the past few months, but I find it fun to switch to any of the three classes a week for a few weeks. Also, I didn't feel the need to use the breath during the exercise.
Concern: I was surprised by this change. In the second week of taking the supplement I saw some improvement with no more stress "events".

Surprisingly, even though I felt stressed, my psoriasis did not improve. This shows some issues during this 30 day trial period.

Make a call

Determining the effectiveness of a supplement is always fraught with challenges. Here are a few of mine.

Small size

I only took a 1000 mg Thorin supplement. It probably makes more sense to take 2000 mg as directed on the package.

There is not enough time.

I only recorded my results for 30 days, which may not be long enough to see significant changes. It may take several months to see the results of the supplement. If I continue taking turmeric for a few more months, I will see a lot of changes.

An unforgettable presentation

My results are subjective. In other words. I am based on my own experience and perspective which is not 100% objective or accurate.

First of all, I didn't have a metric system to measure change. As for the psoriasis, I took pictures and made general observations that it was the same or a little worse based on the spots I had just found. For asthma and anxiety, I only see any significant "events". I haven't really registered a measurable change.

I also suffer from cognitive biases. A cognitive bias is an error in thinking based on personal beliefs and experiences. In my case, I believe in a holistic approach to health and have a lot of experience in this field. So I think pepper can help.

The placebo effect

The placebo effect is a phenomenon that occurs when you see a positive change—such as a reduction in symptoms—despite the absence of any treatment. You can feel good because you expect to feel good. In my case, knowing that turmeric can reduce anxiety symptoms has helped ease the anxiety.

Many reasons

There are many reasons to establish a direct link between turmeric and my symptoms. I will divide by purpose:

Psoriasis: Sunlight helps control psoriasis and since it's summer I spend a lot of time in the sun. This would have prevented major explosions. In general, my anxiety has decreased. Stress can trigger psoriasis, so perhaps feeling stressed prevented the psoriasis from getting worse. Finally, I use many other treatment strategies.
Asthma: My breathing has been slowly improving over the past few months, so maybe it's getting better. Respiratory symptoms can also worsen in cold weather, so maybe the warm weather helped. (It's been a bit chilly this past week and I've had to use my inhaler a few times.) Finally, stress causes shortness of breath, and I generally feel less anxious.
Don't worry: I've had plenty of air quality alerts before, and rainy days followed by rainy days and plenty of opportunities to enjoy good weather on vacation. Also, after discussing the possibility of moving for the past few years, I have decided to move to my current city. It definitely reduces stress.

Final decision

Do turmeric supplements work? I don't have a definitive answer. I experienced less discomfort and the supplement caused no negative side effects. However, I also only took it for 30 days and took the lowest recommended dose.

I will probably be taking the Thor supplement for a few months, especially since the psoriasis and asthma symptoms seem to get worse in the colder, drier months. If this works, I'll have another tool in my arsenal. If not, I will continue to try other options. Sometimes you have to try several treatments before you find the combination that works for you.

Always consult a health professional before trying any supplement and do your research to ensure safety and quality.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter for more Health.com news!

Read the original article at Health.com.