Turmeric is the spice that makes ballpark mustard yellow and gives curry powder its bite, and it could help your asthma by reducing inflammation. In fact, the medical and science communities are increasingly interested in turmeric because recent studies show it possesses anti-tumor, antiseptic, and antibacterial properties as well. The active ingredient in turmeric responsible for the medicinal action is called curcumin.

Research has so mostly concentrated on animals, but curcumin appears to fight melanoma cells and prostate cancer, slow the spread of breast cancer, and reduce joint inflammation. Curcumin could also have a positive effect on Alzheimer's and diabetes, and anecdotal evidence suggests it helps asthma, psoriasis, and bowel disorders. Human trials are now underway.

Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine patients, however, have used turmeric for years to treat inflammation and digestive problems and heal skin infections. The Western medical community became interested after noting that cultures who eat turmeric regularly have lower rates of breast, lung, prostate, and colon cancers.

A quick message board search reveals some people take curcumin in a supplement, but I wouldn�t. Scientists are just now studying how the compound works in the body, and it�s too early to tell the long-term side effects of taking highly concentrated, high-dosage curcumin. Steeping turmeric into a tea or cooking with it more frequently would be safer. Turmeric tea is actually very popular in Japan.

People with gallstones should not use turmeric medicinally�although cooking with it is, of course, fine--and high dosages/overuse can hurt your stomach. Although turmeric shows good anti-cancer potential, patients already undergoing cancer should not take turmeric medicinally because at least one study has indicated its potential weakening effect on chemotherapy.

Check out the links below for recent turmeric/curcumin research and for recipes. While using the research links, be sure to run your own search for "curcumin" on the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) website for many, many more studies.


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"Smile, breathe and go slowly." -Thich Nhat Hanh



This article is not written by a medical professional, and information on this page should never be substituted for your physcian�s advice. If you have any questions about your asthma and/or allergies, you should always contact your physician first.