Turmeric research: liver function, memory, cholesterol, and sperm quality

Turmeric is the shining star of today’s botanical market. Mounting research is not only validating turmeric’s traditional health benefits but also revealing new, previously unexplored potential therapeutic uses of this curry staple. Given turmeric’s powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, it’s not difficult to see why the herb’s popularity is increasing annually. According to the HerbalGram Herb Market Report for 2017¹, which was published in 2018, turmeric held the top spot as the number-one bestselling herbal supplement in the natural channel, with over $50 million in 2017 sales, while it held the 5^th spot in mainstream channel sales, with over $32 million in sales-a figure which was 47% higher than in 2016.

Positive study outcomes for “The Golden Spice” are leading to higher levels of acceptance of the well-renowned traditional benefits of the herb-to the point where associations seen in several initial epidemiological studies years ago are translating to tangible health benefits in intervention-based human clinical trials. A big reason for this seems to be that the current extracts of turmeric, which are based on curcumin, possess higher bioavailability than the pure spice itself. This has led to higher blood levels of the active curcuminoids, resulting in positive outcomes in several health conditions.

As turmeric’s notable bioavailability challenges are increasingly overcome through further technological advancements, it’s reasonable to expect that scientists will discover additional uses for the golden spice in the years ahead, fueling added consumer interest as well as sales of this beneficial spice.

Reference

• Smith T et al. “Herbal supplement sales in US increased 8.5% in 2017, topping $8 billion.” HerbalGram. Issue 119 (Fall 2018): 62-71

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