Curcumin, a natural compound present in turmeric, would be as effective as omeprazole in combating the effects of indigestion, according to a Thai study published in the British Medical Journal this Monday, September 11.
A natural treatment intended to replace medication. Turmeric, through one of its natural compounds called curcumin, has obtained results as convincing as omeprazole in combating indigestion, according to a Thai study published in the British Medical Journal this Monday.
Praised for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, curcumin present in turmeric has been used for many centuries as a medicinal remedy, particularly in Southeast Asia. More widespread in Western societies, the drug omeprazole aims to reduce excess stomach acid and thus act directly on indigestion.
The latter, acting as a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), nevertheless has negative effects if taken repeatedly. According to the study researchers, omeprazole may lead to an increased risk of fractures, micronutrient deficiencies and a high risk of infections in the long term.
Convincing trials for turmeric
Based on this observation, Thai scientists conducted a clinical study based on 151 patients aged 18 to 70 suffering from recurrent stomach aches and recruited from Thai hospitals between 2019 and 2021. They presented similar levels of indigestion according to the score for assessing the severity of the pathology carried out at the start of the investigation.
They were placed in three groups: one with two large capsules of 250 mg of curcumin to be swallowed four times a day and then a small dummy capsule. A second with a small capsule of 20 mg of omeprazole to swallow every day and two large dummy capsules four times a day. The last group was made up of all the indications mentioned in the first two examples.
Evaluated after 28 then 56 days, patients in the three groups showed similar improvement in their symptoms. This first investigation on the subject, although limited in size and the distance necessary to draw broader conclusions, made it possible to note the benefits of turmeric on indigestion in the short term.
“This multicenter randomized controlled trial provides highly reliable evidence for the treatment of functional dyspepsia (indigestion) (…) The new results of our study may justify the use of curcumin in clinical practice,” the researchers concluded. This observation will therefore pave the way for more in-depth studies on this topic.