In a new trial, the results of which appeared in the BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, researchers compared omeprazole’s effectiveness to that of the natural spice turmeric and found that curcumin, the active component in turmeric, is as effective as omeprazole at resolving indigestion.
The trial was conducted in Thailand and included 206 participants, whose mean age was 49.7 years, plus or minus 11.9 years. Of this number, 73.4% were women. All participants were divided into three groups: the first group administered two 250 mg capsules of curcumin 4 times a day, along with one small placebo capsule; the second group received one 20 mg omeprazole capsule and two large placebo capsules 4 times a day, and the third group was prescribed a combination of two 250 mg curcumin capsules 4 times a day, along with one 20 mg omeprazole capsule.
The study’s corresponding author, Dr. Krit Pongpirul, associate professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University, says: “Turmeric has been used by Thai traditional medicine (TTM) doctors for releasing dyspepsia-like symptoms. It has been included in Thailand’s National List of Herbal Medicines, but good scientific evidence is still essential.”