If you or a loved one is suffering from the condition called Crohn's disease, then you understand how tough it can be to go about your daily life with the symptoms it produces. It can be scary to experience a bowel obstruction and can rack up thousands of dollars in frequent hospital visits. It's important to know your options and research all possible treatments or supplements that may help, as well as their side effects. Having a conversation with your doctor about potential natural treatment options to help replace some of the prescription medication can go a long way. Your doctor may recommend several dietary supplements as well such as Turmeric.

Turmeric is a wonderful spice often called “the spice of life”. This yellow or orange-colored root can help prevent flare-ups in inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. It's main compound, Curcumin, has anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory benefits which is why it is often recommended that individuals consider taking turmeric curcumin.

What Is Crohn's Disease?

Crohn's disease is a chronic condition where the individual affected has an inflammation of the bowels. This inflammation can cause a number of problems anywhere in the intestinal track. Some of the main problems that are symptomatic of Crohn's disease are intestinal obstructions, ulcers, and malnutrition (due to their intestines not being able to absorb all of the nutrients needed from their diet.) Other symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, and nausea.

Crohn's disease is similar to the medical condition called ulcerative colitis. The main difference between these two conditions is that ulcerative colitis is most commonly found in the colon and rectum. Crohn's disease can occur in any part of the intestine, even often as patchy inflammation surrounded by completely healthy tissue, which it then spreads to.

Most doctors believe Crohn's disease is caused by a variety of factors, though no one is completely sure what causes it, and there is no known cure, however, the disease can go into a state of remission. A common trigger to the disease is a faulty immune system, predisposition through genetics, and consuming a diet that is high in saturated fats and sugar, or low in fruits and vegetables.

Do Turmeric Benefits Treat Crohn's?

Like any other inflammatory bowel disease, most doctors will attempt to get the disease to go into remission with dietary therapy. This is an excellent way of helping treat Crohn's disease, and including Turmeric in your diet can help with flare ups and other inflammation issues. Whether or not Turmeric can cure Crohn's disease completely is not known, however, as doctors do not have a cure for the disease at all. People who suffer from Crohn's disease will be able to find some relief in Turmeric.

Turmeric has also been shown to have anti-carcinogenic properties, which will help reduce the risk of cancer in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease, as these individuals are especially at risk.

How Can Turmeric Help?

Turmeric is a small rhizomous root originating in the southern Asian regions of the world. This plant contains a main compound called Curcumin. This compound is responsible for the majority of Turmeric's benefits such as anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-oxidant properties. It was popularized at first and used as a trade item for its medicinal benefits that the natives claimed as a miracle root. Many people through India and Bulgaria enjoyed it greatly and popularized it for its unique taste and color. Turmeric gives traditional curry its yellow color and uniquely spicy taste. Turmeric, for this reason, is wonderful to adapt into your cooking habits to help gain some of the health benefits from the root powder.

When it comes to health benefits of Turmeric, multiple scientific studies have been done on the efficacy of Turmeric and Curcumin for treating Crohn's disease. This is fantastic news for the community, showing that there is hope for individuals suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases after all. Further studies are needed to conclude concrete evidence that Curcumin will be able to be used in treating Crohn's disease and helping individuals go into remission, however, for the studies that have been performed, the spice has shown admirable results.

In two different scientific studies, Curcumin extract has been used in conjunction with many recommended mainstream therapy treatments. These treatments used prescription corticosteroids, mesalamine and other prescribed medicines. The patients used Curcumin and Piperine (black pepper) extract and saw positive results within the first few months. Furthermore, in a small group study of 10 patients, several individuals even stopped taking their corticosteroids and replaced it with the Curcumin and Piperine extract. 

Conclusion

If you or a loved one are suffering from Crohn's disease, it may be worth looking into a reliable Curcumin and Piperine (black pepper) extract source and consulting your doctor about the possibility of supplementing your corticosteroid or 5-ASA treatment with the extract.

It's important to find a reliable extract source, instead of using root powders. Root powders have a very low Curcumin level and vary greatly thanks to many grocery store suppliers not storing the herb properly. Curcumin alone has a low bioavailability, so it's important to ensure that you get an extract containing black pepper, or Piperine. The black pepper will help ensure that your body absorbs more Curcumin.

In the end, it looks like Curcumin may prove to be a reliable source for helping reduce the inflammation of many diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and other inflammatory bowel diseases. More studies providing concrete evidence will be needed to help bring the compound into the light of mainstream treatments, however, this is a promising start that is still available to the public.

Turmeric has been known to react with anti-platelet, analgesic and antacid medications. In some cases, even diabetic medications have produced side effects with Turmeric. It is always important to consult your doctor before changing your dietary supplements or habits. Even taking a natural supplement to treat a condition should be considered by your doctor.

Your doctor knows your condition and prescription information best and will be able to tell you if the supplement is safe to take. Even if it is a natural supplement, it can still react to many different medications and conditions like over the counter or prescription medication can.