Study Finds This Popular Spice May Treat Indigestion as Well as OTC Medication
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New research finds curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, was just as effective as common over-the-counter medications at treating indigestion.
Turmeric has been used for years to treat indigestion in Southeast Asia.
Research shows that the spice has known anti-inflammatory properties.
About one in four people in the U.S. experiences indigestion each year, leaving them struggling with abdominal pain and discomfort. Now, new research suggests that a popular spice, turmeric, may offer indigestion relief as well as over-the-counter medication.
The randomized, double-blind trial, which was published in BMJ, focused on 151 people with functional dyspepsia, a.k.a chronic indigestion. Researchers had study participants either take omeprazole (a type of proton-pump inhibitor commonly used to treat indigestion), curcumin (the active compound in turmeric), or two capsules of 250 milligrams of curcumin, four times a day, and one capsule of 20 milligrams of omeprazole once a day.
The study participants were evaluated for their symptoms on days 28 and 56 of the treatment. Researchers found no significant differences in the indigestion symptoms of people taking omeprazole, curcumin, or the combination of the two. (Those symptoms can include pain, a burning feeling, or discomfort in the upper abdomen, feeling uncomfortably full after a meal, or feeling full too soon while eating, per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIDDK).
The researchers concluded that curcumin and omeprazole had “comparable efficacy” for chronic indigestion—meaning, they both worked about the same.
If you struggle with indigestion, which can be indicative of another digestive issue, it’s only natural to have questions about what this means for your treatment. Here’s what experts have to say.
Why might curcumin or turmeric help with indigestion?
The idea of using turmeric or curcumin for indigestion isn’t totally out there: Turmeric has been used in parts of Southeast Asia to treat stomach discomfort for years, says study co-author Krit Pongpirul, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., associate professor at Chulalongkorn University and an adjunct faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
“It has been included in the national list of herbal medicine of Thailand, but good scientific evidence is still essential,” Dr. Pongpirul says.
In Thai Traditional Medicine (TTM), doctors usually assess someone’s constitutions—earth, water, wind, and fire—before recommending herbs to help, Dr. Pongpirul explains. “Individuals with functional dyspepsia, especially those with excessive gas, [are] considered ‘insufficient wind constitution’ that could be corrected by some herbs that has ‘hot flavor’ such as turmeric,” he says.
On a scientific level, turmeric usually has anti-inflammatory properties that may not be directly related to chronic indigestion, Dr. Pongpirul says. But it’s possible that the spice may change your gut microbiome, which could lead to indigestion relief, he says.
Scientific research into curcumin for indigestion is still ongoing, but the compound may help tamp down acid production in the stomach, says Rudolph Bedford, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. “Some people also use curcumin to treat pain that may be due to inflammation of some type,” he points out, noting that it’s possible the compound could help stomach pain from indigestion as well.
How is indigestion usually treated?
There is a range of potential treatments for indigestion. On the medication front, doctors may recommend antacids, antibiotics, h2 blockers, proton pump inhibitors, and prokinetics, per the NIDDK.
But avoiding certain foods and drinks can also help, the NIDDK says, including:
alcoholic beverages
carbonated drinks
caffeinated foods or drinks
foods with a lot of acid, like tomatoes, tomato products, and oranges
spicy, fatty, or greasy foods
If your indigestion is linked to stress, talk therapy, meditation, and relaxation exercises may also help, the NIDDK says.
Are there any side effects of curcumin for indigestion?
There are a few things to consider. One is that curcumin raises your risk of bleeding and bruising if you have large doses, Dr. Bedford says. It’s also possible to develop an upset stomach, diarrhea, and reflux from the supplement, per Dr. Bedford. “This is not a cure-all,” he adds.
However, Dr. Pongpirul points out that the study used a lower but “more natural” dose of turmeric powder vs. higher-dose curcumin supplements that are commonly available in the U.S. “Approximately 1000 mg of fresh turmeric would give 200 mg of powder that has 2 mg of curcuminoid extracts,” he says.
As far as side effects go, curcumin can interact with blood-thinning medication, says Jessica Cording, R.D., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety. “You always want to talk to your doctor before starting a curcumin supplement, especially if you’re on a prescription medication.”
High doses of turmeric beyond what you’d normally have in food may be unsafe in pregnancy, too, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
Cording says that “it’s considered safe,” though, to use turmeric in food form. “The dose is not super concentrated, like with a supplement,” she says.
What to do for chronic indigestion
If chronic indigestion is an issue for you and you’re heavily relying on over-the-counter medication for relief or not getting help from those medications at all, Dr. Bedford suggests reaching out to your primary care physician. They may want to run tests to try to figure out potential causes of your discomfort to help find the best solution possible.
But Dr. Pongpirul says that it also doesn’t hurt to use turmeric. “Think of turmeric as a food ingredient that could help alleviate occasional abdominal discomfort,” he says. “If the occasional discomfort persists, trying OTC omeprazole could be considered a second-line first-aid remedy.”
You may also want to consider your main symptoms when choosing a remedy, he says: If bloating is a big issue for you, Dr. Pongpirul suggests having turmeric; If you’re mostly dealing with heartburn, omeprazole may be a better treatment. “If neither of them work in one to two days, medical attention might be required,” Dr. Pongpirul says.
Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not medicines and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing. Also, be careful about giving supplements to a child, unless recommended by their healthcare provider.
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