1. Turmeric May Help Prevent Cirrhosis of the Liver According to a preliminary study, curcumin, which gives turmeric its yellow hue, appears to impede liver damage that leads to cirrhosis. Curcumin has long been used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for treating various digestive conditions1.1
Both disorders affect the plumbing of the liver’s bile ducts, leading to inflammation, blockages and scarring in its plumbing system; this leads to extensive tissue damage as well as permanent and eventually fatal liver cirrhosis.
Blood and tissue samples were taken from mice with chronic liver inflammation before and after being fed curcumin for 4 and 8 weeks, the results being compared with samples taken from other mice that did not receive curcumin for similar conditions.
Results indicated that mice fed curcumin experienced significantly reduced bile duct blockage, reduced liver cell damage and scarring due to its interference with several chemical signaling pathways involved with inflammation, as well as improved liver cell health at both 4 and 8 weeks after beginning treatment compared with mice given their standard diets. No such results were noticed.
