Martin Schoenbeck

By Martin Schoenbeck Medical Herbalist & Nutritionist

Turmeric is not only a key ingredient of your favourite curry, it’s recently been getting lots of media interest as a very useful herb to help in the management of many chronic conditions – from arthritis, to controlling blood sugars, and it’s even been claimed to help control certain cancers.

So what is the evidence and is it a good idea to take this herb as a supplement – or just incorporate it in more home cooking?

Turmeric is a key herb in the ancient Indian medical tradition known as Ayurveda, which dates back thousands of years.

It has been used to help maintain healthy blood, skin, circulation and as a nourishment to feed the whole body.

Could the key to the population of India having one of the lowest rates of chronic degenerative diseases in the world be due to their huge consumption of this incredible spice? It is certainly worth a closer look.

This amazing spice works in the following ways:

• Inflammation is a key driver in many chronic conditions from atherosclerosis in heart disease to the pain of arthritis, and abdominal pain associated with IBS, and diverticular disease.
• Chronic long-term inflammation has also been linked to certain cancers in research1 Inflammation control is the area where this incredible spice seems to work. It’s been shown in research to be as effective as many modern NSAID medications, but without the associated complications of stomach bleeding these drugs can cause if not managed effectively 2
• Turmeric actively inhibits inflammatory pathways within the body, making turmeric a first choice for inflammations of the musculoskeletal system and the digestive system.
• Research has shown that turmeric impacts upon certain pain receptors within the body; it has been demonstrated as being particularly effective for chest and abdominal pain, frozen shoulder and menstrual cramping.3
• Turmeric contains some very potent polyphenols, also known as antioxidants, which have the ability to protect cellular DNA and repair any existing damage from environmental carcinogens, for example.
• Turmeric has a significant action upon the heart and the circulation. It will improve the flow of blood to the heart and encourage anti-platelet activity, reducing the risk of plaque build up in the arteries.
• Turmeric also improves blood flow through the liver, improving the efficacy of liver detoxification pathways but also stimulating cellular repair mechanisms in damaged liver cells. This improvement in blood flow and quality impacts significantly upon the quality of the skin, and turmeric can therefore be an excellent remedy for any afflictions of the skin.
• In the digestive system, turmeric helps balance levels of bacteria, supporting a healthy digestive environment.

How does Turmeric achieve these incredible health benefits? Part of the reason is down to the characteristically strong yellow colour of this incredible root. These yellow pigments are collectively known as curcuminoids. The root is also brimming with essential oils knowns as tumerones.

The curcuminoids and the turmerones work together within the body as powerful antioxidants helping to attack nasty free radicals which can damage and age our bodies. They also stimulate a healthy inflammation response whilst enhancing circulation, protecting the brain, rejuvenating the liver and targeting pain.

This all sounds incredible, how much would I need to take in order to obtain these benefits?

Well, here is the problem. The curcumin content of turmeric is not that high. It’s around 3%, by weight. Most of the studies on this herb are using turmeric extracts that contain mostly curcumin itself, with dosages usually exceeding 1 gram per day. It would be very difficult to reach these levels simply using the turmeric spice in your foods. You would need to eat lots of curry literally every day!

Therefore, if you want to experience the full effects, you need to take a supplement that contains significant amounts of curcumin. Unfortunately, curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. It helps to consume black pepper with it, which contains piperine, a natural substance that enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2,000%.

Curcumin is also fat soluble, so it may be a good idea to take supplements with a fatty meal, or drink some full fat milk which will aid absorption.

The bottom line: There is growing research evidence to show that this spice can reduce inflammation and therefore it could be a good approach to treating many chronic conditions where this is a factor. However, you should always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional, and do not stop taking orthodox medications without discussing with your doctor first.

— Martin Schoenbeck BSc (Hons) M.N.I.M.H. is a consulting medical herbalist and nutritionist working in Lincoln.

Martin Schoenbeck BSc (Hons) M.N.I.M.H. is a consulting medical herbalist and nutritionist working in Lincoln.

By Martin Schoenbeck Medical Herbalist & Nutritionist

Chocolate, just like alcohol, is not all created equal. Unfortunately, many of the well known brands have begun using palm oil as a cheaper substitute for cocoa butter, which “real” chocolate should be made exclusively from.

From a nutritional perspective “both are high in saturated fat and will raise total cholesterol, and I would expect that there would not be a great difference from a health perspective,” said Walter Willett, professor and chairman of the Department of Nutrition for Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

However, there is a vast difference in environmental impact, as we see deforestation on a dramatic scale to provide the never-ending demand for cheap palm oil. This is threatening to make the orangutan extinct through loss of natural habitat. Suitable orangutan habitat in Indonesia and Malaysia has declined by more than 80% in the last 20 years. It is estimated that an average of 1.15 million ha of forest per annum has been lost on Borneo between 2003 and 2007. This has been chiefly replaced with palm oil production. I certainly would think that is reason enough for avoiding palm oil containing chocolate – even if the taste difference doesn’t put you off. 

Nutritionally, the healthier choice is to go dark. Cacao comes from the dried and fully fermented seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree. There is a lot of debate around the health benefits of raw cacao versus cocoa powder. Cocoa powder is raw cacao that’s been roasted at high temperatures.

Sadly, roasting changes the molecular structure of the cocoa bean, reducing the enzyme content and lowering the overall nutritional value. Nearly all commercially available chocolate is made from heat-treated cocoa powder. However, some of the health benefits remain.

Dark chocolate contains much less sugar and the darker it is, the greater the cocoa content. Generally, a good dark chocolate bar will contain above 50% cocoa, and can go higher – some brands are 70% or more. Milk chocolate on the other hand only contains 20-25% cocoa plus much more sugar, and of course we should already know the issues surrounding refined sugar.

Some of the health benefits of cocoa include:

• Protection from disease causing free radicals. Two groups of antioxidants prevalent in dark chocolate are flavonoids and polyphenols. Dark chocolate’s cocoa has actually been shown to have the highest content of polyphenols and flavonoids, even greater than wine and tea. These compounds can protect against inflammation, which is a key factor in many chronic diseases. 
• Improved circulatory and heart health. Flavanols are the main type of flavonoid found in dark chocolate. According to Cleveland Clinic, research has shown that flavanols have a very positive effect on heart health by helping lower blood pressure and improving blood flow to the heart as well as the brain. Dark chocolates flavanols can also help make blood platelets less sticky and able to clot, which reduces the risk of blood clots and stroke.
• Better cognitive function. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Nutrition demonstrated flavonoid-rich dark chocolate’s ability to improve cognitive ability, specifically in the elderly. This cross-sectional study of over 2,000 participants ages 70 to 74 years old looked at the relationship between the intake of chocolate, wine and tea (all rich in flavonoids) and cognitive performance. The study concludes that “intake of flavonoid-rich food, including chocolate, wine, and tea, is associated with better performance across several cognitive abilities and that the associations are dose dependent.”
• Improved blood pressure, and sugar metabolism. There are already 75 scientific articles looking at dark chocolate and blood pressure. A study published in 2015 compared type 2 diabetics’ consumption of white chocolate versus high-cocoa, polyphenol-rich dark chocolate. The subjects consumed 25 grams of dark or white chocolate for eight weeks. The researchers found that not only did dark chocolate lower the B.P. of the hypertensive diabetics, but it also decreased fasting blood sugar. Of course, if you’re a diabetic, the higher the cocoa content, which also means the lower the sugar content, the better. It is important to note that 25g is a very small amount, only ¼ of the average bar.

But what about milk chocolate? Well that’s not such great news unfortunately. Legally, milk chocolate only needs to be at least 20% pure chocolate with at least 3.5% milk fat and at least 14% milk solids. Studies have shown that the proteins in milk might reduce the absorption of the healthy antioxidants from cocoa.

What’s the problem with milk? Milk actually appears to bind itself to the flavonoids in chocolate, making them unavailable to our bodies. This is why milk chocolate is not a good antioxidant source. It’s also why you don’t want to drink milk with your dark chocolate.

So in summary — the darker the better. Avoid palm oil if you want to help the environment – especially the orangutans, and don’t have too much of a good thing, because all chocolate is very high in calories.

— Martin Schoenbeck BSc (Hons) M.N.I.M.H. is a consulting medical herbalist and nutritionist working in Lincoln.

Martin Schoenbeck BSc (Hons) M.N.I.M.H. is a consulting medical herbalist and nutritionist working in Lincoln.