In today’s world, turmeric is touted as the most powerful remedy in the treatment of all kinds of ailments and diseases and so, it produces no side-effects, and therefore it is many times recommended as a natural alternative to various kinds of medication.
But, you shall definitely have in mind, that regardless of its myriad of health benefits and huge power to improve health, it should definitely not be taken in high doses, or in a combination with other drugs or medication.
This one has been used for thousands of years as a culinary spice, as a natural remedy, and in ceremonial situations.
Most of the beneficial properties are because of the presence of curcumin its active ingredient, that has been scientifically confirmed to provide potent anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogenic and anti-thrombotic effects.
However, we will need to consider the possible side-effects of its use as well, since it can be even dangerous when combined with certain drugs.
Never take turmeric with these kinds of medication
That is, this kind of natural spice also interferes with medication that reduce stomach acids, because it actually increases its production and as a result, it can cause some stomach pain, nausea, bloating, and damage on the esophagus. These mentioned drugs include: Famotidine (Pepcid), Ranitidine (Zantac), Cimetidine (Tagamet) and Omeprazole.
What is more, its anti-thrombotic properties are beneficial, but if you take blood-thinning medication, they can as well be dangerous and increase the risk of bleeding. The turmeric should therefore not be used if you take any medication like aspirin, warfarin (Coumadin), and clopidogrel (Plavix).
This one is possibly dangerous in case its taken in combination with drugs for diabetes, since it strengthens their effects, and might therefore lead to excessively low blood sugar levels.
The side effects in this case are anxiety, shakiness, blurred vision, delirium and reduced cognitive function.
In some of the cases, the turmeric may as well cause an allergic reaction, and outbreaks like rashes and hives. Just in case you experience allergic symptoms, please make sure you lower the amount of turmeric you are taking, or replace it with some other natural remedy.
When you go buying turmeric in powder form, please make sure you purchase ones that have been certified organic by the US Department of Agriculture. But, if you choose to take turmeric or curcumin supplements, they should have a quality certification by a third party.
For what is more, there exist no official recommendations for the consumption of turmeric, and the maximum tolerable intake level has not been identified. But, as a generalized rule, you shall definitely make sure you stick to the dosage recommendations given on supplement labels.
When we talk about curcumin, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) had set the acceptable daily dietary intake as 1.4 mg per pound (3 mg/kg) of body weight, which would be 139 mg daily for a 178-pound (81-kg) male.
