To Your Health
September, 2023 (Vol. 17, Issue 09) |
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Indigestion No More
By Editorial Staff
Ever experienced dyspepsia? Your initial response might be "no," but what if we used its more common name: indigestion? If you've ever had stomach pain, over-fullness and bloating during and after eating, acid reflux, heartburn and/or excessive burping, you've had dyspepsia. (Source: Mayo Clinic)
For some people, dyspepsia isn't just an occasional occurrence after eating a particularly stomach-irritating meal (for example, fried / fatty foods); it's fairly regular. As you can imagine, chronic dyspepsia ("functional" dyspepsia) can be uncomfortable and distressing. Unfortunately, one of the primary treatments for chronic dyspepsia is medication, namely proton-pump inhibitors. What if there were a natural alternative to medication? There is.
Research published in a British Medical Journal publication suggests curcumin is as effective as proton-pump inhibitors. Participants with functional dyspepsia received curcumin alone, a PPI (omeprazole, branded as Prilosec or Prilosec OTC, Losec, etc.), or curcumin and omeprazole. Patients in the curcumin group took two 250 mg capsules of curcumin, four times daily, for 28 days. Researchers evaluated functional dyspepsia symptoms on day 28 and 28 days thereafter (day 56). "No significant differences were observed among the three groups" on days 28 and 56, with comparable improvements in pain, non-pain and satisfaction categories of the Severity of Dyspepsia Assessment scale.
So, if curcumin is as effective as a medication for functional dyspepsia – shouldn't you be talking to your prescribing physician about whether you should try the natural option instead? After all, natural is always better than non-natural, as long as the effects are the same. And we know all medications come with long lists of potential side effects; which means the nondrug version should be your first option for dyspepsia – and all things related to your health and wellness.
