Turmeric...proceed with caution: I have been... - Thyroid UK

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Turmeric...proceed with caution

infomaniac profile image
51 Replies

I have been taking a fair amount of Turmeric powder on a more or less daily basis for quite a while now. Lately I have been feeling dreadful and in searching around I've found that turmeric contains oxalates that (as well as doing other bad things) causes inflammation.

"When too much oxalate is absorbed into the bloodstream via the gut, it can team up with calcium to form sharp calcium-oxalate crystals. These crystals can then wedge themselves into tissue almost anywhere in the body causing damage and/or exacerbating pain and inflammation. Excess oxalate can also lead to oxidative damage and the depletion of glutathione. The latter is essential for metabolizing many toxic environmental chemicals that enter the body."

So in trying to heal my body I have apparently done the opposite :-(

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infomaniac profile image
infomaniac
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51 Replies
greygoose profile image
greygoose

Yeah, l made that mistake, too!

infomaniac profile image
infomaniac in reply to greygoose

Who would have thought it?! I'm hoping that I haven't caused too much damage :-(

LindaC profile image
LindaC

Noooo - me too - in fact when I don't use it, my legs really ache badly!? Is there anything we can safely take? Thanks for that Info... what next? x

infomaniac profile image
infomaniac in reply to LindaC

God only knows Linda!! I'm just looking at Coenzyme Q10 but am going to research it thoroughly this time!

jacrjacr profile image
jacrjacr in reply to infomaniac

i use q10 and love it....great for heart skin etc

jacrjacr profile image
jacrjacr in reply to jacrjacr

but they are too different type water or fat solutible and i take the one that ends in 0L that is both bec it absorbs more per pill

hairyfairy profile image
hairyfairy in reply to jacrjacr

I tried that a couple of years ago, but it gave me anxiety attacks.

LindaC profile image
LindaC

I take x2 per day Super Bio-Quinone Q10 by Pharma Nord @ 30 mg - they do higher strengths - but I want 'somewhere left to go' if I need it [good for hearts... why I take it, but also good after attacks and/or failure]. H & B do a buy one get one half price so it's a good deal then - bit pricey but it's meant to be a good one and gets highly recommended. Good luck hunting out what's worth taking! Pls let me know if you find anything 'interesting' ;-)

Mumzie54 profile image
Mumzie54

I take this in the form of golden paste to reduce inflammation, the group I joined swear by it for their horses dogs and themselves. It was on tv a little while back on Trust me I'm a doctor with Michael Moseley, not that I do trust them. Very surprising.

Karen1963 profile image
Karen1963

How about curacumin which is the active ingredient? Or quercitin or msm?

rsae56 profile image
rsae56

Informaniac, did you take turmeric as Golden paste? As far as I have read it behaves differently when taken as golden paste. But I'm not 100% sure :(

infomaniac profile image
infomaniac in reply to rsae56

I didn't actually make a "paste" as such but I always combined it with coconut oil and black pepper so I hope you're right!

rsae56 profile image
rsae56 in reply to infomaniac

I think the cooking makes a difference though. I'll try and look into it ;)

Lorriloo profile image
Lorriloo in reply to infomaniac

Raw turmeric is actually quite toxic, it's very important that it's made into a golden paste.

However, keep in mind that the piperine in black pepper aids absorption into the system, so it speeds up absorption of all the drugs you will be taking. You should check with your dr as it can cause issues with slow release drugs.

Alternatively, you could try solgar 7, it has turmeric, white willow bark and lots of great stuff. 😊

Mumzie54 profile image
Mumzie54 in reply to infomaniac

I think that the tum Eric needs to be brouht gently to the boil, and simmered in water for 7 mins. Then add coconut oil and newly ground black pepper.

Mumzie54 profile image
Mumzie54 in reply to Mumzie54

Don't you just love autocorrect!

annabhaird profile image
annabhaird

That's a concern regarding turmeric, I only take it if I get a cough, it always cures it. Prior to finding out about it's power i used to need anti biotics. A pharmacist in a private hospital recommended it to me 25 years ago. I use the ordinary spice that can be bought in supermarket.

sueprou1956 profile image
sueprou1956 in reply to annabhaird

I have got an horrendous cough at the moment what do I do with turmeric

Lorriloo profile image
Lorriloo in reply to sueprou1956

Try colloidal silver instead, you can buy it from any health shop, have a read up on it, it's excellent for bronchial and chest problems but a good all rounder also

Allyson1 profile image
Allyson1 in reply to Lorriloo

Isn't colloidal silver toxic, and can permanently lodge in your skin.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Allyson1

True.

nccih.nih.gov/health/silver

Lorriloo profile image
Lorriloo in reply to Allyson1

Coliodial silver Is only toxic when taken in large doses for a long period, it's a natural antibiotic and anti fungal.

I've found that using once or twice over a couple of days will clear most things up, of course everything has risks and possible side effects so it's all down to personal choice. 😊

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to Lorriloo

Did you read the link I posted?

If you did, I am surprised you didn't pick up on the thyroid issue:

Colloidal silver can also cause poor absorption of some drugs, such as certain antibiotics and thyroxine (used to treat thyroid deficiency).

It seems to me an important issue to advise of - even if you still choose to ignore the other information in the document.

Lorriloo profile image
Lorriloo in reply to helvella

Sorry I didn't see the link you posted.

I'll have a read 😊

Allyson1 profile image
Allyson1 in reply to Lorriloo

But even small doses over short periods never actually leave your body, I understand. After a certain threshold it become visible. I can't believe it's still available.

maggi999 profile image
maggi999 in reply to sueprou1956

put 'golden paste' into your browser and it will bring up sites that have the recipe. I've found it very useful as an anti-inflammatory and have read that it's good for upper respiratory congestion

annabhaird profile image
annabhaird in reply to sueprou1956

I normally take a quarter of a teaspoon 4 to 5 times a day, dry into my mouth and then drink a glass of water with it. It's quite pungent. You could put some sugar on it, or use it in soup, or milk if you prefer. I take it only if I have a cough and it's the ordinary one from the supermarket. It can take 3 to 4 days to work, better than antibiotics though!

Danifox6 profile image
Danifox6 in reply to sueprou1956

I would look to elderberry syrup

HLAB35 profile image
HLAB35

I've also read that turmeric is effective only when it's been cooked in oil with black pepper. Oxalates are found in many highly pigmented foods - tea is especially high. I imagine that the trick is to not have too much calcium floating around your blood stream waiting to bond with it. Calcium needs directing to bones and teeth - it's a mineral with no agenda and can do more harm than good if it's not being directed to the bones. Fortunately we now know that vitamin k2 does the job of moving calcium from soft tissues and into the bones (taken alongside vitamin d).

vitamink2.org/k2-pedia/abou...

infomaniac profile image
infomaniac in reply to HLAB35

Thank the lord I take K2!

in reply to HLAB35

I think you will find that calcium is far from a mineral with no agenda, calcium in the blood plays a role in blood clotting, nerve function, activation of enzyme reactions and hormone secretion. It is the most abundant mineral in the body which might just give us a clue that we need calcium on a daily basis more than any other mineral. The body operates as a whole organism and without adequate amounts of the 60 odd other minerals, like Mg for instance, its not surprising that calcium ends up in the wrong place. Calcium is best absorbed via plant sources, the way that nature and evolution intended.

Amazon07 profile image
Amazon07

I always use turmeric for colds and coughs, and if I'm in a lot of pain, and it helps. I only take it when needed. I take organic turmeric, and take 1 tsp at the time. You have to take black pepper with it so it's effective, that's what I read. It doesn't cure my pain (my hip keeps getting out of alignment and pulls in my muscles, the pain can be 9/10..,) :-( but it helps and defo more effective than paracetamol. I breastfeed so I can't take any other hard core painkillers and I'd rather not do that anyway...

infomaniac profile image
infomaniac in reply to Amazon07

I was taking organic too but some days would be having way more than a -teaspoon. I thought the more the better but sadly that's not the case :-(

marram profile image
marram in reply to Amazon07

It is more effective taken with a little healthy fat, such as coconut oil. In fact, best of all as what it really is, a spice added to food.

Treepie profile image
Treepie

Izabella Wentz recently had a blog on oxalates . Yes ,"Trust Me" was definitive!

marram profile image
marram

Were you taking it in capsule form? The best way to take it is with food. I read somewhere that using it as a spice in food makes it more effective and less harmful.

naturalsociety.com/turmeric...

The problem is that there is a general tendency in the human race to think that if something is good, more of it must be better!

Another tendency is for some people to jump on a bandwagon if they think money can be made....

infomaniac profile image
infomaniac in reply to marram

No Marram I was using the organic powder mixed with black pepper and coconut oil, and always added it to food/drink...and unfortunately I definitely thought more was better!

marram profile image
marram in reply to infomaniac

Lol!

bluebug profile image
bluebug

Mumzie54 like marram stated it should be taken in food. I'm definitely sure in Trust Me I'm a Doctor they found that tumeric was only found to be effective when taken as food.

And yep it was - bbc.co.uk/programmes/articl...

farmerfeste profile image
farmerfeste

You only need a pinch in your gravy etc or fresh turmeric a little slice in hot water or a little

Grating in gravy etc like a lot of things you can overdose be careful.

Learner1 profile image
Learner1

I have seen people beat stage 4 cancer with curcumin IVs in massive doses under expert medical care. Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric. I also know a patient who is allergic to it, do its not for everyone.

Curcumin isn't very bioavailable. It needs to be combined with black pepper (piperine) and/or lipids to become more bioavailable. Having it properly processed and taking it as capsules is convenient. I've been taking 3g a day of Thorne Research Meriva for 2 years. I'm not sure, but perhaps the oxalates are processed out in the lab because I haven't heard of anyone having an oxalate problem.

It's great for inflammation and is an excellent broad spectrum Phase 2 detoxer. Some people have great Phase 1 detox - the CYP450 enzymes are working overtime metabolizing toxins into more toxic intermediate metabolites and if methylation and other Phase 2 processes can't keep up, it can be very dangerous. Curcumin can help clear the toxicity.

It's something to be respected just as any drug. Finding a doctor with expertise using it would be useful. Also, labs vary on the quality of what they put out. Meriva is a trusted version.

Amazon07 profile image
Amazon07 in reply to Learner1

Learner1 Hi, thank you for all that info! Can you recommend such doctor please? Thanks

Learner1 profile image
Learner1 in reply to Amazon07

I'm in the States, so my recommendations may not help. I'd look for a doctor who practices functional medicine or one from India. For cancer, the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas has been doing a lot of research.

infomaniac profile image
infomaniac in reply to Learner1

I agree it certainly can be helpful for a lot of conditions but for me, for the moment at least, I am giving it a wide berth. I started the leaky gut diet earlier in the year and since then have been having some lovely chicken soup (made by my dear hubby :-) ) almost every day for breakfast. And to this I was unwittingly adding at least a teaspoon of turmeric. I have also been adding it to curries and as I am now off sick with what I think is pleurisy, I had several drinks with grated ginger, garlic etc...and turmeric.

Healthwise I have normally been OK-ish but in he last few months I have gone downhill and rightly or wrongly I am blaming the turmeric as I know excessive amounts are not good...so mine is being banished to the back of the cupboard for the time being :-)

HLAB35 profile image
HLAB35 in reply to infomaniac

Pleurisy is pretty serious - have you had a chest x-ray to confirm? The turmeric could be a 'nonsense correlation' and you may have something else going on there.

I have used n-acetyl-cysteine for persistent mucus problems (sinus and IBS) - it works against strep bacteria and helicobactor in the lungs and in the digestive tract by thinning mucus and destroying their protective layer. By taking it at night on an empty stomach it also prevents insomnia because it switches off glutamate receptors.

infomaniac profile image
infomaniac in reply to HLAB35

I've done another post re turmeric and my "pleurisy" ...and you were right!

Thanks for telling me re NAC-very interesting and I think a welcome addition to my arsenal of supplements ;-)

thyr01d profile image
thyr01d

Thank-you infomaniac (love the name!:)) such a helpful bit of information.

Willerbee profile image
Willerbee

Turmeric made me feel quite ill. I found that it is on my list of food sensitivities. Your information adds to the negative cast on this very hyped herbal remedy.

Danifox6 profile image
Danifox6

I read a long time ago to avoid turmeric if you have Hashis so haven't touched it since!

hairyfairy profile image
hairyfairy

I don`t see how something as natural as turmeric can be dangerous. Several million people in India have been consuming it for generations.

LAHs profile image
LAHs

You know, my strategy is to have an Indian meal a couple of times a month. I have had tremendous success health wise after a good Vindaloo and a large glass of red wine. I was wondering what was causing the healing and I guess it was the turmeric. When I was working full time and caught the flu I would go out of my way to go to an Indian restaurant rather than go straight to bed - and after the vindaloo, the wine and a good night's sleep I was ready to go the next morning.

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