Research studies about turmeric or its derivative, curcumin, frequently catch my eye, especially this one that looked at turmeric and glaucoma. Researchers had apparently been testing systemic administration of turmeric for glaucoma (a disease of high pressure inside the eye that can result in blindness). The poor ability of turmeric to dissolve in water had limited its effectiveness not just in eye therapies, but in many other therapies as well. In this study researchers developed a nanotechnology that they say delivers 400,000 times the concentration directly to the eye versus orally delivered therapies.
Their study indicated that application of this curcumin nanotechnology lowered the rate of retinal ganglion cell loss in mice. This appears to be a key factor in the development of glaucoma. Hopefully this leads to human therapies in coming years.
Another point that caught my eye was the following quote:
“Curcumin (1,7-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5dione) is a polyphenol extracted from turmeric (Curcuma longa)10 reported to modulate a range of biochemical processes implicated in neurodegenerative disorders11. For example, curcumin has been found to attenuate pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of the most common ophthalmic disorders12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19, including: mitochondrial-mediated oxidative stress20, inflammatory responses via PPAR-γ agonist activity21, down-regulation of COX-2 and iNOS22, downregulation of JAK2-STAT3 mediated astrogliosis23, β-amyloid aggregation24, and anti-angiogenic activity via modulation of the VEGF/VEGFR/K-ras pathway25.”
Basically, the authors laid out a series of mechanisms by which curcumin affected human metabolism. Curcumin has far reaching effects that are outright amazing.
Functional MD’s like myself love this stuff. We use curcumin for a wide variety of human diseases already. Now we have one more excuse to recommend this great anti-inflammatory natural agent so we can help patients live healthier more abundant lives.
Referenced Paper
University College London. “Turmeric-derived eye drops could treat glaucoma: study.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 July 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180724110233.htm>.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
I remember Turmeric and sandalwood paste as a beauty treatment for brides before their wedding to create a golden glow and clear up skin blemishes!