“Dyspepsia is a digestive disorder characterized by chronic pain and discomfort centered in the stomach region, or epigastrium,” explains Health Insurance. For the patient, this may be characterized by the feeling of having difficulty digesting. Symptoms include nausea, bloating, hiccups and even heartburn. To treat it, turmeric may be as effective as omeprazole, a medication used to reduce excess stomach acid, according to researchers at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. Their results are published in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.
Turmeric has been used as a remedy for indigestion in Southeast Asia for many years
Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant. One of its compounds, curcumin, is renowned for its anti-inflammatory properties. Its presence is found in remedies to combat indigestion in Southeast Asia, as researchers point out. They wanted to know its effectiveness compared to current drug treatments. They therefore conducted a comparative study between taking curcumin and that of omeprazole, a treatment prescribed to combat functional dyspepsia, namely a digestive disorder.
To carry out their research, the specialists based themselves on a panel of 206 people aged 18 to 79 suffering from functional dyspepsia. Participants were selected from different hospitals in Thailand. In total, 151 of them were able to complete the study. The specialists divided them into three different groups: a first group took two curcumin capsules four times a day and one dummy capsule. A second group was to take omeprazole in the form of one small 20 mg capsule per day and two large dummy capsules four times per day. A third group was to take omeprazole and curcumin in capsule form. The characteristics and severity of dyspepsia, assessed using a tool called SODA. They were recorded at the end of treatment, then 28 and 56 days after the end of taking the capsules.
Indigestion: curcumin would be as effective as omeprazole
Researchers found that the capsules reduced pain and symptoms in all participants. More precisely, at 28 days, the curcumin group recorded a 4.83 reduction in pain and 2.22 symptoms. The omeprazole group recorded a reduction of 5.46 in pain and 2.32 in other symptoms. Finally, for the group taking curcumin and omeprazole, this represented a reduction of 6.22 in pain and 2.31 in other symptoms.
After 56 days, the researchers noted “stronger improvements”. Pain reduced by 7.19 for the curcumin group and other symptoms decreased by 4.09. The omeprazole group recorded a reduction in pain of 8.07 and a reduction in other symptoms of 4.12. Finally, the group taking curcumin and omeprazole recorded a reduction of 8.85 in pain and 3.71 in other symptoms.
“Curcumin and omeprazole had comparable efficacy for functional dyspepsia without obvious synergistic effect,” note the authors in their conclusions. Furthermore, they estimate a statement that “the new results of our study could justify considering curcumin in clinical practice”. However, the researchers highlight several limitations to their study, such as the restricted panel or the duration of the study.
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