Turmeric outperforms omeprazole in reducing indigestion, offering natural healing without harmful side effects.
Move over Omeprazole, there’s a new (or rather, ancient) spice in town, which is giving the drug a run for its money. And it’s probably already sitting in your kitchen spice rack. Yes, we’re talking about our humble turmeric.
A 2023 study published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine confirmed what Indians have known since time immemorial: our humble golden turmeric, or more specifically its star compound curcumin, can work just as effectively as omeprazole in reducing stomach acid and easing indigestion.
While scientists are patting themselves on the back for their “discovery,” Indian grandmothers everywhere are having a quiet chuckle.
A Modern Study Versus Centuries of Traditional Knowledge
This groundbreaking revelation may have cost a few thousand dollars and involved just 206 patients in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
All very impressive, but do you know what this process is in the kitchen of an Indian household? It’s when your mom “prescribes” you a glass of warm turmeric milk after one look at your bruise. You may roll your eyes, but – boom – 15 minutes later, you’re on the road to recovery.
It turns out that behind every naani’s or grandma’s traditional remedy was a dose of medical insight that now has scientists pulling out their microscopes.
The Grandma’s trial has been going on for centuries involving billions of people. Is the Thai study any match with grandma’s clinic trial!
In the Thai study, 206 patients with recurring indigestion were split into three groups: one received curcumin (turmeric’s active compound), another received omeprazole, and a third received a mix of both.
After 28 days and again after 56 days, the results came in: all three groups showed similar improvements in symptoms.
Imagine that – people consuming a natural compound thousands of years old had the same results as those on a highly manufactured drug.
Spices: A Global Journey of Flavor and Healing
Now, while this may be shocking to some, it’s old news for anyone who’s ever spent time in an Indian kitchen. “Science needed to spend thousands of dollars to reach this conclusion?” asks the hypothetical Indian grandma. “I could’ve told them this for free!”
Perhaps the next study will involve how ginger helps a sore throat. Spoiler alert: it works. Next study would be does garlic reduce cholesterol – oops!! My grandma knew this long ago and used it in every Indian curry. So please, don’t spend so much money on studies, just ask the Indian grandmas.
And if there’s another “discovery” about cumin aiding digestion, someone’s going to need to check on Indian grandmothers; they might just faint from laughter.
This brings us to the broader world of Indian spices – an array so rich it left European explorers in a frenzied dash across oceans. They craved cloves, cinnamon, pepper, and more, leading to centuries of trade (and, yes, some minor imperialist “side effects”).
Spices like turmeric have been used medicinally in India for around 4,000 years, long before double-blind studies were a thing.
Back in 700 AD, turmeric made its way to China, followed by East Africa, West Africa, and, finally, Jamaica by the eighteenth century. It’s a globe-trotter, you see, because humans have known it works.
And lately it has made its way to the American café Starbucks where the golden latte is a big hit among the consumers due to its healing properties.
The Secret Medicinal Power of Spices in the Indian Kitchen
And yet, somehow, this spicy saga just got spicier in the 1500s, when European explorers brought chili peppers from the Americas. Imagine the reaction in India: “What is this peculiar red thing that feels like fire on the tongue?”
Soon, the chili became as integral to Indian food as turmeric itself, helping fuel a unique brand of cuisine that mixes spice, medicinal qualities, and, yes, sometimes indigestion (hence the turmeric).
Over time, Indian food developed into an elaborate science of flavor and healing, which Indians have both savored and benefited from for generations.
For years, Indian kitchens have operated as mini-clinics with a remarkable toolkit of spices.
Saffron for mood, cardamom for fresh breath, cumin for digestion – you name it, there’s a spice for it.
The nice and humble turmeric, taken for granted in every curry and remedy, is now celebrated by scientists as a wonder compound.
Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science: What’s Next?
Now that scientists are coming around to the efficacy of turmeric, one can only imagine what the next “breakthrough” might be. Are we about to have coriander confirmed as a cholesterol-lowering agent?
Perhaps someone will conduct a study on the anti-anxiety benefits of fennel seeds. How about a 20-page research paper on the metabolism-boosting power of black pepper?
If this trajectory continues, we’ll soon have scientific evidence backing rasam (a tangy, spicy South Indian soup) as the ideal cure for colds.
Meanwhile, Indian grandmothers everywhere will remain calm, holding on to their prized steel masala dabbas (spice boxes), filled with the wisdom of the ages.
For centuries, Indian kitchens have thrived on intuition, trial and error, and, admittedly, a little magic, experience, belief and faith.
And while it’s great to have science finally catching up, they might also want to be prepared for a few more shocked reactions from the scientific community.
After all, who would’ve guessed that all that exotic knowledge about turmeric and cumin actually had science behind it?
While allopathic drugs come with a number of side effects, the humble turmeric or other spices have no side effects. Omeprazole’s side effects include fracture risks, micronutrient deficiencies, and a heightened risk of infections.
On the other hand, turmeric’s curcumin compound comes with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits, not to mention its stain-inducing abilities (if you’ve ever spilled turmeric on white clothing, you know what I mean).
Therefore, the next time your stomach rumbles, don’t rush to the medicine cabinet. Just check out the spice rack.
But turmeric isn’t just about setting your stomach; it’s also the secret behind that radiant glow. Indian brides, for instance, get the full “haldi treatment” before their big day, plastered in turmeric paste from head to toe to achieve that luminous, smooth complexion – all without setting foot in a salon! Who needs a pricey facial when you’ve got turmeric? Way to go, dear haldi – the humble spice with superstar status!
