Turmeric may be as good for treating indigestion as medicine, a study suggests.
A natural compound found in the culinary spice may be as effective as omeprazole, a drug used to reduce excess stomach acid and treat indigestion, according to the first study of its kind. The findings were published in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.
Turmeric contains a naturally active compound called curcumin, thought to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It has long been used as a medicinal remedy, including for the treatment of indigestion, in south-east Asia.
However, until now it has been not clear how well it compares with conventional drugs for indigestion, largely because there have been no comparative studies.
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, researchers recruited 206 patients aged 18 to 70 with recurrent upset stomach, of whom 151 completed the study. They were recruited from hospitals in Thailand between 2019 and 2021, and randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups for 28 days.
These were: turmeric (two large 250 mg capsules of curcumin 4 times a day) and one small dummy capsule; omeprazole (one small 20 mg capsule daily and two large dummy capsules 4 times a day); and turmeric plus omeprazole.
Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), which are used to treat dyspepsia (indigestion). Most people have the condition at some point in their lives. Usually, it is not a sign of anything more serious and people can treat themselves.
However, long-term use of PPIs has been linked to increased fracture risk, micronutrient deficiencies, and a heightened risk of infections, the researchers said.
Patients in all three groups had similar clinical characteristics and indigestion scores, as assessed by the severity of dyspepsia assessment score or Soda, at the start of the trial. Patients were reassessed after 28 days and then again after 56.
Researchers found that oral curcumin was safe and well tolerated, and that patients in all three groups experienced a similar improvement in symptoms.
They acknowledged the small size of the study, as well as several other limitations, including the short intervention period and lack of long-term monitoring data. Further larger, long-term studies were needed, they said.
Nevertheless, they concluded: “This multi-centre randomised controlled trial provides highly reliable evidence for the treatment of functional dyspepsia,” adding that “the new findings from our study may justify considering curcumin in clinical practice”.
• This article was amended on 12 September 2023 to add details about the number of participants.
