Turmeric is considered the elixir of long life. Scientific studies have been able to demonstrate its amazing anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties linked to one of its active substances, curcumin. Well, it seems that curcumin is also able to counteract asthma and allergic rhinitis. This is the result of several researches carried out in these last years, the latest, in order of time, dates back a few weeks ago. It was published by a team of the University of Sao Paolo, Brazil, in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology (Manarin et al, J Ethnopharmacol, Apr 2019). But we can also mention a very interesting study performed a few years ago by Chinese scientists and published on the journal Annals of allergy, asthma and immunology (Wu et al, Dec 2016).
In the first study the participants to the research, all aged between 7 and 18 with asthma, were divided into two groups. The first group was asked to take a placebo, the second 30 mg of turmeric per kg of body weight. This treatment was being followed for 6 months with a control after 3 months. The result is that just after 3 months the people who took turmeric showed a general improvement of the symptoms, there were indeed a fewer night awakenings and also a lower use of drugs commonly used against asthma. Also the second study has demonstrated the beneficial action of turmeric in counteracting allergies. In this case the 241 patients took directly curcumin for two months and the result was that the active substance of turmeric was able to reduce the allergic symptoms such as rhinitis and sneezing. Moreover, curcumin acted also by modulating the immune system thus regulating and attenuating the body answer to the external allergens.
Here you go another proof of the beneficial effect of turmeric, that, it is important to highlight, may be used as a healthy seasoning for salads. However, in order to let curcumin overcome the barrier of the stomach, turmeric should be taken, in the dosage of about a teaspoon, mixed with extra virgin olive oil and some ground black pepper!
