Curcumin GI side effects

/www.mdedge.com/clinicianreviews/article/102071/gastroenterology/curcumin-and-mesalamine-top-mesalamine-alone

I've taken curcumin on and off for a while now. It can cause some mild nausea for me. I shoot for 3 grams a day. I believe black pepper is necessary to aid in absorption.

What will specifically happen to you I can't say, but some studies, like the one above, show curcumin in combination with mesalamine to be substantially more beneficial than mesalamine alone at inducing remission in UC patients. Almost 50 percent of patients who were originally non-responsive to mesalamine were able to reach remission. Pretty powerful research IMO. I hope more comes out.

Supplements can have side effects, just like medications can. Genetic diversity helped some survive the Plague. Similarly, there's always a small subset who have a reaction to specific substances within the body for the same sort of reasons. Always fun trying to figure out if it is a side effect or due to something else.

webmd said...
Turmeric usually does not cause significant side effects. But some people can experience stomach upset, nausea, dizziness, or diarrhea.

In one report, a person who took very high amounts of turmeric, over 1500 mg twice daily, experienced a dangerous abnormal heart rhythm. However, it is unclear if turmeric was the actual cause of this side effect. Until more is known, avoid taking excessively large doses of turmeric.

Gallbladder problems: Turmeric can make gallbladder problems worse. Do not use turmeric if you have gallstones or a bile duct obstruction.

Bleeding problems: Taking turmeric might slow blood clotting. This might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding in people with bleeding disorders.

Diabetes: Curcumin, a chemical in turmeric, might decrease blood sugar in people with diabetes. Use with caution in people with diabetes as it might make blood sugar too low.

A stomach disorder called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Turmeric can cause stomach upset in some people. It might make stomach problems such as GERD worse. Do not take turmeric if it worsens symptoms of GERD.

Hormone-sensitive condition such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Turmeric contains a chemical called curcumin, which might act like the hormone estrogen. In theory, turmeric might make hormone-sensitive conditions worse. However, some research shows that turmeric reduces the effects of estrogen in some hormone-sensitive cancer cells. Therefore, turmeric might have beneficial effects on hormone-sensitive conditions. Until more is known, use cautiously if you have a condition that might be made worse by exposure to hormones.

Infertility: Turmeric might lower testosterone levels and decrease sperm movement when taken by mouth by men. This might reduce fertility. Turmeric should be used cautiously by people trying to have a baby.

Iron deficiency: Taking high amounts of turmeric might prevent the absorption of iron. Turmeric should be used with caution in people with iron deficiency.

Surgery: Turmeric might slow blood clotting. It might cause extra bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using turmeric at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

/www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-662/turmeric

First of all I find whole turmeric with black pepper superior to curcumin extracts, and cheaper. I think the whole curcumin thing is a scam by the pharmaceutical industry to make money on something that never needed to be monetized in the first place. Turmeric on its own is a traditional spice for inflammation. All of India uses it on a regular basis and it's probably why they have the lowest inflammation rates in the world.

Anyway, I digress. I can't do turmeric while I have active inflammation or bleeding. It thins the blood and makes the bleeding worse. I can only do it after the bleeding has been stopped for a couple of months and I've had some basic bowel healing.

I can't say if curcumin caused your flare or not. I know the whole herb turmeric would be highly unlikely the reason for your flare, but pharmaceutical extracts of curcumin may be a different story. They are basically drugs because they are a concentrate of one aspect of the original plant. And who knows how such a drug would cross react with a biologic or another IBD drug.

Personally I'd do the whole plant and ditch the curcumin.

momto2boys said...
I just bumped my dose up from 2-3 g a day and so far so good. I take 3 capsules in the am and 3 in pm with my meals, but only 1 with bioperine as it gives me reflux if I take more than 1. The other two are the NOW brand. I paid for a year's subscription to consumer lab since they test supplements. They have a list of recommended and not recommended brands which I found to be very helpful.

ETA- I cannot take this dose with actively bleeding ulcers, it makes the bleeding way worse.

What do you use it for?

I take it to lower inflammation, studies show that 3 g of curcumin are as effective as 5ASA. I started to take it during my last flare-up but had to keep my dose at 1g while bleeding. After hanging out at 2 g for a while I started working my way up to 3. There was some trial and error finding a supplement that didn’t give me reflux.

For those that had questions about absorption: Yes, black pepper can help support absorption of turmeric, but an even better option is to choose a supplement (check with your doctor first) that is formulated using a hydro-soluble technology. The hydro-soluble supplements use a type of cyclodextrin (a type of starch) that can enhance the bioavailability of turmeric.
More research here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28204880