Curcuma/Turmeric- food and nutrition advice for IBS Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common GI disorder. Often symptoms that accompany IBS include stomach cramps, irregular bowel movement and bloating. As conventional treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) lack efficacy, Complementary and Alternative medicine are becoming increasingly popular treatment alternatives. Some practitioners of Complementary and Alternative medicine prescribe Curcumin as a supplement for IBS, but have varying results.

A 2004 research study by Bundy et al 2004 showed that Curcuma longa or turmeric relieves pain and discomfort in individuals suffering with IBS; two thirds of the individuals experienced a decline in the symptoms of IBS as well as a favourable shift in self-reported bowel pattern. Furthermore the study concluded that curcuma longa reduced the prevalence of IBS and improved quality of life amongst the trial participants. Conversely, a 2005 study by Brinkhaus et al using Curcuma xanthorriza had no effect in IBS patients.

So is Turmeric an effective remedy for IBS?

 The answer comes from further

research which has shown that efficacy may be due to the species of curcuma which correlates to the mode of action.

 Bactericidal (Zaidi et al 2009)Anti-inflammatory ( Ammon et al

1991)Spasmolytic (Gilani et al 2005)

So it follows that it is advisable to prescribe turmeric dependent on the symptoms, but efficacy will depend on the species of Curcumin.

 Curcuma amada Roxb - anti-

Helicobacter pylori Curcuma longa - anti-

inflammatory activityCurcuma longa - anti spasmolytic

A good strategy is to use turmeric (the everyday kitchen spice) as a component of an integrative healthcare solution, i.e. co-prescribe turmeric as food and nutrition advice in conjunction with other complementary therapies.

 This is a pertinent example of utilising

a strategic but effective integrative healthcare solution, using the appropriate combination of therapies that is specific to the individual which is the crux of any treatment strategy.

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