Can curcumin benefit IBD patients?

The spice that has been used for centuries for food, art, and medicine. Curcumin is the beneficial and brilliant bright yellow chemical from the plant root, turmeric. Curcumin is an antioxidant that helps the body reduce inflammation, fight infection, and improve digestion, all which are symptoms related to IBD.

Research

The research suggests further exploration of cucrumin in relation to treating IBD including a systematic review that shows that the available evidence is not sufficient to recommend the use of curcumin in management of IBD. However, we still recommend adding curcumin to your well balanced diet as is has been proven to be effective as an anti-inflammatory, without significant side effects.

Increasing curcumin itself does not lead to the associated health benefits. To get the most out of the spice, it is important to focus on increasing the bioavailability (how effectively your body absorbs nutrients):

– Add a pinch of black pepper as it has been shown to increase the bioavailability by 2000%

– Consume the turmeric root fresh or dried as a powder because it still contains natural oils which can enhance absorption by seven to eight times

– Eat it with dietary fat (coconut oil, butter, olive oil, nuts, or seeds) as it can be directly absorbed into the bloodstream