Curcumin may stimulate gall bladder contractions, so caution is suggested in people with gallstones.
The special curcumin extract is available in several U.S. products, including those from Life Extension Inc.
Sprinkling turmeric on food or trying curcumin capsules is unlikely to hurt you, scientists say.
In the U.S., curcumin is popping up in a growing number of dietary supplements, but quality can vary.
Another issue with curcumin is that it isn't very "bioavailable, " meaning many of the curcuminoids are altered during digestion, reducing potency.
He has found, for example, that taken in combination with exercise, a spice called curcumin boosts the production of heat-shock proteins several-fold.
The curcumin arthritis studies have a major flaw: Neither included a placebo, or control group, says rheumatologist David Felson, who directs an arthritis research team at Boston University School of Medicine.
Small molecules in nature, mostly what are called polyphenols (resveratrol, quercetin, catechin, curcumin, others), as found in concentrated form in red wine, can cross the cell wall and enter the cell and influence genetic machinery.
There is also a growing body of research suggesting that curcumin, one of the active components of curry, may play a role in both the treatment and prevention of various types of cancer including breast cancer.
"Curcumin, no matter how we measured it, was either comparable to sodium diclofenac or slightly better, " says co-author Ajay Goel, director of the Department of Epigenetics and Cancer Research at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.
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