Washington: Do you have bowel problem? Try out turmeric, for a new study says that the spice relieves symptoms in many cases.
An international team has carried out the study and found that curcumin, the major yellow constituent of turmeric, helps in reducing inflammation in many people suffering from bowel disease, the 'British Journal of Nutrition' reported.
"Crohn's disease, a form of inflammatory bowel, can be aggravated or relieved by the sufferer's diet. Only by linking particular components to effects on the specific genotype can we get true understanding of the disease and how to treat it.
"This finding means that some people with Crohn's disease may benefit from eating turmeric, but this is entirely dependent on their genetic makeup. Others may not get any benefit, or may even have a severe reaction," lead researcher Christine Butts of Plant & Food Research said.
And, according to the researchers, the discovery may assist in the development of diet-based treatments for people suffering from the equivalent genetic form of the disease.
"We are one step closer to understanding this disease and how to best control it with diet," Butts said.
Added co-researcher Kieran Elborough: "In diseases with complex genetics, such as Crohn's disease, understanding which genetic variants are affected by which food compounds is important in knowing what to avoid in the diet.
"Using this knowledge, we can develop dietary supplements with added benefits which can help bowel disease sufferers based on their personal genotype."