Turmeric is an excellent anti-inflammatory and one of Earth Clinic readers' favorite natural remedies for a variety of ailments, including stomach pain. If you are only familiar with turmeric as a cooking or pickling spice, especially in curries, you'll be surprised to learn that throughout the world turmeric is considered an indispensable natural treatment. In India, turmeric has been considered a valuable and reliable medicinal herb for thousands of years. For a stomach ache, it works better than most traditional options.
How Earth Clinic Readers Use Turmeric for Stomach Aches
Lina told us how her mother cured her son's chronic stomach pain with turmeric and honey.
[YEA] When my son was 2 years old, he had a severe stomach pain. He was crying constantly for 2 hours at that night. Ever since, i took him to different doctors in 3 different countries, went through blood test, x-ray and usg. Finally the doctor said that it was normal for a child to have stomach pain at least twice a week!!! I couldn't believe what he said. My mum visited us 2 years ago, and started to give him tumeric and honey. You wouldn't believe it. It WORKS!!! Never again he has stomach pain.
Brenda mixed turmeric, cinnamon and baking soda to cure her stomach pain.
[YEA] I was having abdominal pain about 3 hours after meal for 2 weeks. The pain radiated to upper right abdomen and I felt like bending over when the pain started. My GP sent me for blood test and scan with negative results. After desperately looking for an alternative therapy, i found your web-site & figured out it could be a bug. That evening, I had a teaspoon of turmeric powder, some cinnamon and half teaspoon of baking soda with warm water. The taste was actually quite nice with the cinnamon powder. I thought it was such coincidence that I did not feel any pain for the 1st time in 2 weeks the next day. And I continued with the concoction every evening for 5 days. Amazingly, the pain did not come back at all. To me, this is a miracle. Thank you for this site and to everyone for sharing.
Why Don't Many of the Traditional Treatments Work?
There are many traditional treatments for stomach issues, ranging from store-bought antacids to baking soda or even milk. However, the problem with these options is that they reduce acid in the stomach, which actually isn't the cause of stomach pain at all. The stomach is in a naturally acidic state, so it requires a specific level of acid to function effectively. When the stomach is lacking acid, this imbalance actually causes pain and cramping in the stomach, which can lead to inflammation and other intestinal issues.
Why Should I Use Turmeric Instead?
One of the warm spices, turmeric stimulates acid production in the stomach. As the pH of the stomach is regulated to a more optimal level, stomach pain ceases. Also, turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent. Because of these properties, the spice is able to reduce inflammation in the stomach that may be contributing to pain. Turmeric also eliminates any intestinal bugs or viruses that may be causing the pain. Curcumin is a natural compound in turmeric which helps to stimulate the production of the bile in the gallbladder to best facilitate digestion.
How Do I Take Turmeric?
Turmeric and its active ingredient curcumin are generally considered a safe dietary additive when taken in food or as a supplement. You can take a dosage of 400 to 600 milligrams of turmeric or curcumin powder up to three times a day or with each meal.
Turmeric and Black Pepper are the Winning Combination
Most turmeric extracts contain mostly curcumin, the primary active ingredient and a powerful antioxidant. Raw turmeric is only 3% curcumin. By itself, curcumin is poorly absorbed. The solution is to add piperine to the curcumin, which is a component in black pepper. Adding piperine to curcumin increases its effectiveness by 2,000%.
So one can take:
- raw turmeric;
- raw turmeric with black pepper or peppercorns;
- a turmeric capsule with black pepper or peppercorns;
- or a turmeric (curcumin) capsule containing piperine.
Note: While turmeric is considered a safe supplement, it is not recommended for use in conjunction with certain health conditions. Those with diabetes or gallstones or those who are pregnant or lactating should not use turmeric. Of course, as is always true, one should get a diagnosis if the stomach ache continues or returns frequently.
Other Pages of Interest
To learn more about treating stomach pain, read Ted from Bangkok's comments on stomach pain, the dangers of antiacids and treatments that he recommends to his own clients. You will find additional information in the Q & A on abdominal pain.
Give turmeric a try and let us know how it works for you. Scroll down to read about the experiences of other Earth Clinic readers who treated their stomach pains with turmeric.
Related Links:
Home Remedies for Stomach Aches & Abdominal Pain
Turmeric Benefits: Health Uses & Anti-Inflammatory Properties
