Is there any reason NOT to take curcumin?

[dsdmom]

I feel like I read on one thread here a while ago of some contraindication or some reason why one would not want to take curcumin. Would it have to do with SNPs or methylation? Or is it something you just need to try and see how you do?

 

[Sushi]

I feel like I read on one thread here a while ago of some contraindication or some reason why one would not want to take curcumin. Would it have to do with SNPs or methylation? Or is it something you just need to try and see how you do?

Slightly at a tangent, but if you take curcumin you need to take some form of black pepper at the same time to make it more bioavailable. Some brands of curcumin include it.

Sushi

 

[taniaaust1]

The only thing I can think of is it being a spice, maybe could have some negative impact on IBS in some (as spices are sometimes best avoided in IBS).

 

[alex3619]

Slightly at a tangent, but if you take curcumin you need to take some form of black pepper at the same time to make it more bioavailable. Some brands of curcumin include it.

Sushi

I eat turmeric all the time, usually with black pepper, and often with cauliflower. Its a basic spice, and one of those less likely to cause problems. The black pepper is more likely to cause issues.

 

[maryb]

It is a question of try it and see I think - I can't tolerate the supplements but am okay with small amounts of the spice.

 

[Thinktank]

I just started Curcumin BCM95 and boswellia for inflammatory bowel disease.
I've no idea why one shouldn't take curcumin or turmeric, except that it can lower the effects of certain medications or something along that line. Not sure if it's true and i can't recall where i read it. But it had something to do with people from India using loads of turmeric in their food.

 

[rebar]

I've taken it off and on for years, adding black pepper could be an issue as it makes many supplements and drugs more
bio- available. There are some products that are more absorbent. I currently take CurcuminRich, its an extract.
There are many positives, unaware of any negatives except that It can contribute to heart burn with me at times.

 

[Undisclosed]

Curcumin/tumeric is not known to cause any significant side-effects. Some people have reported nausea, stomach upset, diarrhea, or dizziness.

You should be cautious if you have gallbladder issues or GERD.

It does slow blood clotting so it's not advisable to use it if you are on an anticoagulant.

Otherwise, it looks like there shouldn't an issue with it.

 

[AbbyDear]

I can not tolerate it (or boswellia for that matter), but, there is a long list for me.

 

[jeffrez]

Curcumin/turmeric causes intense OCD symptoms in me. It can alter brain chemistry, so you might have to be careful if it affects you that way, or in some other neurobiologic way.

 

[~ Ariel]

Hello, dsdmom et All,

Been taking curcumin /turmeric for 2 years now ~ as with all supplements, I operate on instinct ~ Suffer fro ISB, badly triggered par pepper (total no-no),chili, cayenne, any " hot" spices ~ No problem with curcumin, tolerate it fine, but that doesn't mean of course that it be the case for other IBS sufferers ~ Having said which, vey interested with what you porpose, jeffrez, re brain chemistry...food for thoughts....< ~Ariel crawls back to her cave, bed, realising that she cannot for love nor money string 3 thoughts nor a sentence together, nor remain seated, nor......>

 

[jeffrez]

Here's a study showing curcumin changes serotonin and dopamine levels, and can affect OCD - positively, or apparently (if you don't have rat neurology ;-)), also negatively:

N Am J Med Sci. 2010 Feb;2(2):81-6. doi: 10.4297/najms.2010.281.
Effect of curcumin on quinpirole induced compulsive checking: An approach to determine the predictive and construct validity of the model.

Chimakurthy J, Murthy TE.
Source

Department of Pharmacology, Bapatla College of Pharmacy, Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh, India - 522101.
Abstract

BACKGROUND:​

Disorders of anxiety vary in severity to a wide extent, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) persists as the fourth most common form of mental illness and is reported to be associated with memory impairment, necessitating effective means of treatment.

AIM:​

To study the effect of curcumin on OCD.

METHODS:​

The present study includes the determination of effect of curcumin at 5 and 10 mg/kg in quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg) -induced model of OCD, memory retention and brain monoamine levels in rats.

RESULTS:​

A significant improvement from the obsessive-compulsive symptoms induced by quinpirole was observed in curcumintreated rats; curcumin showed a protective effect on memory task. An increase in serotonin levels and a decrease in the dopamine levels were observed in curcumin treated rats.

CONCLUSION:​

Curcumin treatment had shown a protective effect in OCD with considerable influence on brain monoamine levels, thus providing an evidence for the predictive and construct validity of the model.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=curcumin ocd

 

[Little Bluestem]

I just started Curcumin BCM95 and boswellia for inflammatory bowel disease.
I've no idea why one shouldn't take curcumin or turmeric, except that it can lower the effects of certain medications or something along that line. Not sure if it's true and i can't recall where i read it. But it had something to do with people from India using loads of turmeric in their food.

Are you thinking of this - second paragraph.