Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
By David Bruce Leonard, L.Ac.
PLANT NAME: Curcuma longa L.
COMMON NAMES: 'Ölena ("yellow") [Hawai'i]; turmeric [English]; yu jin ("constrained gold" - tuber),
jiang huang ("ginger yellow" - rhizome) [China]; açafrão-da-índia [Portuguese]; achirilla [Colombia];
ago, ango [Samoan, Tongan]; azafrán de la india [Spanish]; avea [Fiji]; cu nghe (fresh), bot nghe
(dried) [Vietnam]; dilaw [Tagalog]; 'ena [Marquesas]; geelwortel [Holland]; gelbwurz [Germany];
gurkemeie [Norway]; gurkemeje [Denmark]; gurkmeja [Sweeden]; haldi [Hindi]; halodhi [Assami];
halud [Bengali]; haridra, gauri [India]; hsanwen [Burma]; kanghwang [Korea]; keltajuuri [Finland]; kha
min [Thailand]; klacze kurkumy [Poland]; kunyit [Malaysia]; kurcum [Arabia]; manjal [Tamil]; manjano
[Swahili]; re'a [Tahiti]; renga [Cook Islands]; romiet [Khmer]; safran des indes [French]; tœrmerik
[Iceland]; ukon [Japan]; yuquilla [Costa Rica]; zholty imbir [Russia].
PHARMACEUTICAL NAMES: Tuber Curcumae / (Rhizoma) Curcumae Longae
NOMENCLATURE: Curcuma comes from "kerkum," a yellow dye from the East Indies.
FAMILY: Zingiberaceae.
CATEGORY: Herbs that invigorate blood.
PROPERTIES: Acrid, bitter. In China the tuber (yu jin) is considered cool, and the rhizome (jiang
huang) is considered warm.
PLANT PART USED: Tuber and rhizome
TOXICITY
Curcumin antioxidants are safe and powerful anti-inflammatory agents [Miquel 2002, Chainani-Wu
2003] Tumeric is known to be safe in low and moderate doses. The constituent curcumin is not toxic
to humans at doses ranging from 8-10 g / day [Cheng 2001, Aggarwal 2003].
In mice, 100 mg / kg / day for 90 days dose of C. longa ethanol extracts had no acute or chronic
toxicity [Qureshi 1992].
CAUTIONS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS
▪ Not in pregnancy.
▪ Not with acute jaundice, hepatitis, bile duct obstruction, or gall stones. (Note: in China, the tuber
yu jin is considered cooling and is used for damp heat jaundice... your call....)
▪ High doses may aggravate the GI system. Not with gastric ulcers or hyperacidity.
▪ In China the tuber is not used with Eugenia caryophyllata (ding xiang).
ENERGETIC CAUTIONS: Not in excess pitta. Not with Liver or Gall Bladder Heat. See Cautions
above.
PREPARATION OF MEDICINE
Tincture [1:5, 50% alcohol]. Infused, decocted, prepared fresh, dried and powdered.
For increased absorption, some naturopaths recommend taking with Bromelain 20 minutes before
meals; or, with essential fatty acids, lecithin, or fish oil during meals. Juice should be refrigerated and
used within two weeks. Or just eat it.
Please Note: 'Ölena will stain ANYTHING within reach, including your hands, blender, aura, dog,
kitchen counter and children. If you don't use gloves while straining it be prepared to have orange
hands for a few days.
DOSAGE
In formula 5 - 10 grams in decoction.
I always prefer fresh, but some use 1g / day of dry, powdered curcumin in divided doses.1 teaspoon
of powder in water or juice.
STATUS IN HAWAI'I: Polynesian introduction. No pest factor.
MERIDIAN AFFINITIES: Stomach, spleen, liver
WESTERN FUNCTIONS REPORTED: Alexeteric [India]; alterative [India]; anodyne [India];
antheimintic [India]; anti fungal [India]; anti-arthritic [India]; antibacterial [India]; antibilious [Chinese];
anticoagulant; antihelmintic [India]; anti-infectious; anti-inflammatory; anti-mutagenic; antioxidant;
antiperiodic [India]; anti-pyretic [India]; antitumour; antiviral [India]; aromatic [India]; balsamic
[Chinese]; blood cleanser (juiced internal) [Hawai'i, India]; carminative [India]; cholagogue [Brazil,
China, India]; depurative [Nepal]; digestive aid; diuretic [Malaya]; emollient [India]; escharotic; eye
cleanser [India]; fumitory; hemostatic [China, Hawai'i]; increases intelligence, wisdom, maturity (red
on third eye) [India]; lactagogue [Java]; liver protective; maintains balance of intestinal flora [India];
metabolism regulator; stimulant [India]; stimulates the secretion of pancreatic enzymes.; stomachic
[China]; thermogenic [India]; tonic [India, Malaya]; uterine-stimulant; vulnerary [Philippines].
TRADITIONAL CHINESE ENERGETIC FUNCTIONS:
1) Invigorates blood and removes blood stagnation (rhizome and tuber).
2) Invigorates menstrual blood (rhizome).
3) Moves qi & stops pain (rhizome and tuber).
4) Clears hot phlegm in the heart channel and cools the blood (tuber).
5) Expels wind and leads to the shoulder (rhizome).
OTHER ENERGETIC FUNCTIONS: Decreases kapha and vata, increases pitta.
'Ölena Common Medicinal Uses
▪ Inflammation
▪ Liver disorders
▪ Digestive aid
▪ Shoulder pain
▪ Sinus and ear problems.
'Ölena Cross-Cultural Medicinal Uses
COSMETIC
▪ Beauty care treatments [India]; skin dye [India]; to remove excess hair (topical)
CARDIOVASCULAR
▪ Anemia [India].
▪ Angina pain.
▪ Capillary fragility; poor circulation [India].
DERMATOLOGICAL
▪ Acne pimples [Hawai'i, India].
▪ Dermatitis, eczema, fungus, itching, psoriasis, rash, & warts [India]; athlete's foot (paste topical);
dermatosis [Nepal]; impetigo (paste topical).
▪ Diabetic wounds (topical after debridment) [India].
DIGESTIVE
▪ Abdominal pain (tuber) [China]; Crohn's disease [India]; diarrhea [Malaya]; dysentery (fights
protozoan parasites) [Brazil, India, Malaya, Research]; ulcerative colitis [India].
▪ Hemorroids [India];
▪ Indigestion, gas, low appetite, obesity [India];
▪ Added to high-protein meal to benefit digestion and prevent gas [India].
ENDOCRINE
▪ Diabetes [India].
HEAD AND THROAT
▪ Conjunctivitis [India, Java]; eye infections [Arabia]; eye problems, purulent ophthalmia, sore eyes
[India].
▪ Earaches (juice topical) [Hawai'i].
▪ Hoarse voice [India]; inflammation of the tonsils or throat congestion (chewed raw) [Hawai'i];
pharyngitis, tonsillitis [India].
▪ Nose growths or odors (juiced topical) [Hawai'i]; sinusitis, runny nose [India].
HEPATIC
"Roots: Curcumœ. Of Turmerick, hot in the third degree, opens obstructions, is profitable against the
yellow jaundice, and cold distemper of the liver and spleen, half a dram being taken at night going to
bed in the pulp of a roasted apple, and if you add a little saffron to it, it will be the better by far." - -
Nicholas Culpepper
▪ Alcohol or acetaminophin induced liver damage (preventive) [India]; chronic hepatitis [India];
hepatosis [Malaya]; jaundice and liver problems [China, India, Java].
▪ Specific for gall bladder infection due to suspected staphylococcus [India].
▪ Michael T. Murray compares curcumin to Silymarin for its liver protective effects.
INFECTION
▪ Abscess [India, Java]; chronic sores (tuber topical and internal) [China]; infections and non-
healing wounds [Arabia, India]; sores [Malaya].
▪ Common cold [China, Hawai'i, India, Java]; fever [India];
▪ Chronic strep [India]; tuberculosis [Hawai'i]; HIV [India, Research]; smallpox [Brazil]; tuberculosis
[Hawai'i].
LYMPHATIC
▪ Hodgkin's disease.
MUSCULOSKELETAL / TRAUMA
▪ Arthralgia, arthritis, & traumatic arthritis [India]; bursitis [China, India]; fibromyalgia; shoulder pain
(rhizome) [China]; sore muscles.
▪ Bruising, pain & swelling from trauma (tuber & rhizome, topical and internal) [Arabia, Brazil, China,
India, Malaya]; wounds [Arabia, Brazil, India, Java].
▪ Cat scratches [India].
NEUROLOGICAL
▪ Alzheimer's disease; epileptic seizures (tuber) [China]; multiple sclerosis.
ONCOLOGY
▪ Breast tumors; lung tumors; lymphoma [India]; skin tumors; stomach tumors.
PARASITES
▪ Scabies [India, Java].
PEDIATRIC
▪ Chickenpox; colic [Brazil, China]; infant rashes.
PSYCHOSPIRITUAL
▪ In traditional Hawaiian thinking, 'ölena is thought to have much Mana (spiritual power) and was
mixed with pa'akai (sea salt) and sprinkled with a Cordyline fruiticosa (la'i) leaf in ceremonies to
purify people and homes.
▪ In India, 'ölena is thought to bestow the energy of the Divine Mother, cleanse the chakras, and is
considered a symbol of prosperity in Ayurvedic medicine. When the juice is used as a "tikal"
(orange dot) on the third eye, it is thought to increase intelligence, maturity, and wisdom.
▪ Anxiety & agitation (tuber) [China]; hysteria (from "inhaling fumes" - possibly huffing) [India].
REPRODUCTIVE
▪ Lack of menses (rhizome) [China, India, Malaya]; menstrual pain (rhizome or tuber) [China].
▪ Gonorrhea [Brazil, Malaya].
RESPIRATORY
▪ Asthma, bronchial asthma, bronchitis [Arabia, Hawai'i, India]; catarrh [Brazil]; chest congestion
[China]; coughs [Arabia, India].
▪ Hay fever.
URINARY
▪ Edema [India]; gravel [Java]; kidney failure [India]; urogenital disorders [India, Malaya]; white
blood cells in the urine [Java].
VETERINARY
▪ Used in Trinidad and Tobago for ruminants having endoparasites.
▪ Also for injuries and pregnancy-related conditions in animals.
OTHER MEDICINAL USES
▪ Chest, flank, or abdominal pain (rhizome or tuber) [China]; colic from use of cathartics [Michael
Moore]; insect or snake bite [India]; leech bite [Brazil]; parturition [Java].
USE AS FOOD: A major component of curry powder, giving it its color. Sometimes used as an
adulterant of mustard.
OTHER USES:
▪ Used to make yellow-orange dyes in ancient Greece and to color kapa cloth in Hawai'i.
▪ Used with sandal wood paste in pre-marital bathing rituals.
▪ In India it is used to stretch the ligaments to benefit the practice of yoga.
▪ Planted outside of homes in Hawai'i to repel termites.
▪ A paste is used to plug radiator leaks in cars.
ESSENTIAL OIL: Perfume component.
CONSTITUENTS: 'Ölena contains powerful antioxidant phytonutrients known as curcuminoids. The
active constituent is curcumin, an antioxidant that reduces inflammation by reducing histimine levels
and possibly by increasing natural adrenal corticoids. Although curcumin is not soluble in water, it is
suspected that its' metabolites may be therapeutically active and responsible for its' medicinal effects.
Other constituents include volatile oils 4-14% (turmerone, atlantone, zingiberone), sugars, resins,
protein, vitamin C, & minerals.
POSSIBLE DRUG INTERACTIONS: May potentiate aspirin, Coumadin (Warfarin), Persantin, or
Heparin (inhibits platelet aggregation) [Srivastava 1995].
Cobalt ion neutralizes the antioxidant effects of curcumin in vitro [Sakagami 2000].
'Ölena Local Combinations
Joint pain: Add Siegesbeckia orientalis (xi xian cao) and Portulaca oleracea ('äkulikuli).
Hepatitis: Add Zingiber officinale ('awapuhi päkë / ginger).
Indigestion, abdominal cramps: Add Cymbopogon refractus (wäpine).
Poor memory: Add Centella asiatica (pohe kula) and Bacopa monnieri (brahmi).
CROSS-CULTURAL COMBINATIONS:
Please note some of the ingredients in the following
combinations are toxic! Do not self-administer without the supervision of a licensed practitioner or an
experienced Elder.
Scabies: With Azadirachta indica (neem) paste topical [India].
Fungus: With Aloe vera [India].
Menstrual pain: Tuber with Paeonia lactiflora (bai shao), Cyperus rotundus (xiang fu) Bupleurum
chinense (chai hu) or Angelica sinensis (dang gui) [China].
Torso pain: Rhizome with tuber.
Chest pain from heart disease: Tuber with Salvia miltiorrhiza (dan shen) [China].
Urinary stones: Tuber with Desmodium styracifolium (jin qian cao) [China].
Sinusitis: Juice snorted with 'alaea (iron oxide) & pa'akai (sea salt). If you've never before felt the
inside of your head explode, this will create an indelible memory. Keoki Sousa tells of having a
Kupuna (elder) instruct him to snort 'ölena juice mixedwith pa'akai (Hawaiian sea salt) during a
bout with hayfever and sinusitis. Apparently (after he "came-to"), it had "cauterized" the inside of
his skull. But, he hasn't had hayfever since. For a less-than-explosive healing experience, the
"pulu" (hairs) of the häpu'u fern (Cibotium spp.) were soaked in 'ölena juice and placed in the
nostrils. For growth in the nostrils or bad odor in the nose it has been juiced with Zingiber officinale
(ginger) rhizome & flower, and Saccharum officinarum (white sugar cane); soaked in Cibotium
spp. (häpu'u) pulu, and sniffed for up to ten times a day [Old Hawai'i].
Offensive nose odors: Another old recipe for offensive nose odors (probably a sinus infection)
calls for 'ölena with dried Cocos nucifera (coconut), Syzygium malaccense ('öhi'a 'ai) bark,
Saccharum officinarum (white sugar cane), Morinda citrifolia (noni) fruit, Cordyline terminalis (la'i)
root, (kukui) bark and flowers, and Psilotum spp. (moa) internally. That'd do it
[Old Hawai'i].
Bruising or itching: Topical with honey [India].
Vaginal discharge: Internally with honey [India].
To tonify the skin: With milk internally [India].
Bruises or sprains: Topical (crushed rhizome) with rum, salt, Siparuna guianensis (leaves),
Justicia pectoralis (leaves) [Creole]. Or with honey or Aloe gel [India].
Painful menses and post partum pain: Rhizome with Cinnamomum cassia (rou gui) for [China].
Shoulder pain: Rhizome with Astragalus membranaceus (huang qi), Cinnamomum cassia (gui
zhi), Ledebouriella divaricata (fang feng) or Notopterygium incisum (qiang huo) for [China].
Sore throat: As a gargle and internally with coconut milk, Syzygium malaccense ('öhi'a 'ai) bark,
Aleurites moluccana (kukui) bark and flowers, and Psilotum spp. (moa) [Old Hawai'i].
As a "blood cleanser": The rhizome juiced with the Curcuma longa ('ölena) leaves, Punex
gigauteus shoots and leaves, Syzygium malaccense ('öhi'a 'ai) bark, Acacia koa (koa) bark, and
Saccharum officinarum (white sugar cane) [Old Hawai'i].
RANGE: Hawai'i, India, China, Philippines, Java, Malaya, Nepal, and Brazil. Native to India.
HABITAT: Wet, shady, rich soil. Up to 3000' in Hawai'i
GATHERING: Any time.
PROPAGATION & CULTIVATION: 'Ölena dies back in winter, so remember where you've planted it if
you want to partake during Makahiki (winter) season.
RESEARCH
▪ Redneck rodents take note: Ethanol extracts of both Curcuma longa and Alpinia galanga when
given to mice resulted in an increased weight of sexual organs and sperm motility [Qureshi 1992]
plus curcumin is neuro-protective for ethanol-induced brain damage [Rajakrishnan 1999].
▪ Ischemia induced damage is reduced by pretreatment with curcumin in cats [Dikshit 1995].
▪ Antioxidant [Reddy 1994; Selvam 1995].
▪ Reduces death rate in mice with Cystic Fibrosis [Egan 2004].
▪ Prevents the formation of gallstones in rats [Hussain 1992, 1994].
▪ Creates faster closure of wounds in lab animals [Sidhu 1998].
▪ Curcumin lowers cholesterol and inhibits LDL oxidation in rabbits [Ramirez-Tortosa 1999].
Immunity
▪ Curcumin stimulates macrophage activity in mice [Antony 1999], although some constituents may
reduce lymphocyte proliferation and activity [Ferreira 1992].
HIV
▪ Curcumin is a modest inhibitor of HIV protease [Sui 1993]. It may inhibit "LTR" (long terminal
repeat) sequence in HIV, which is a part of viral functioning [Barthelemy 1998]. In Trinidad, the
Indian population eats large amounts of tumeric in curry while the African population does not.
Persons of African descent in Trinidad are 10 times more likely to have HIV than persons of Indian
descent [Cleghorn 1990]. This may be due to genetic, dietary, or other factors.
Alzheimers disease
▪ Oxidative stress, disturbed protein metabolism, and the formation of beta-amyloid fibrils appear to
be key factors in Alzheimer's disease [Calabrese 2003]. In lab animals, Curcumin has been shown
to be protective against amyloid beta-protein damage [Lim 2001, Ono 2004(a &b)].
▪ Phenolic constituents in Curcuma longa appear to induce an anti-oxidant and anti-degenerative
"heat shock response" that reduces oxidative stress [Calabrese 2003]. Curcumin has been shown
to reverse cognitive deficits in rats [Frautschy 2001]. Rosmarinic acid, another constituent in
Curcuma longa, may also play a part [Ono 2004(b)].
▪ Other substances that may prevent the beta-amyloid plaque formation include red wine and
Vitamin E [Ono 2004(a), Ono 2004(b)].
Oncology
▪ As an anticancer agent curcumin down-regulates transcription factors, inflammatory response, cell
surface adhesion molecules, and growth factor receptors [Aggarwal 2003]. Known to inhibit tumor
cells, [Aggarwal 2003] it is chemoprotective for various cancers in both lab animals [Kuttan 1995,
Ambegaokar 2003] and in humans [Cheng 2001].
▪ Oral and esophageal cancer: Curcumin inhibits human oral squamous carcinoma cell in vitro
[Elattar 2000], as well as chemically induced esophageal cancer in lab animals [Ushidi 2000].
▪ Skin cancer: Curcumin may inhibit squamous cell carcinoma through the inhibition of arachadonic
acid metabolism [Spingarn 1998].
▪ Lymphatic cancer: Antioxidant and cytotoxic against adenocarcinoma in vitro [Fujisawa 2004].
▪ Nervous system cancer: May reduce human neuroblastoma in vitro [Liontas 2004].
▪ Breast cancer: Of 150 medicinal herbs tested, Curcuma longa was among the 6 best in terms of
binding to progesterone and estradiol receptors in human breast cancer [Zava 1998]. It increases
cytochrome P-450 detoxification in human breast cancer cells [Ciolino 1998].
▪ Lung cancer: Smokers who used tumeric daily for one month had less urinary excretion of
mutagens than did controls [Polasa 1992].
▪ Stomach cancer: Curcumin inhibits H. pylori and is chemoprotective in rats [Ikezaki 2001, Mahady
2002].
▪ Duodenal cancer: The ethanol extract can prevent duodenal ulcers in rats [Rafatullah 1990].
▪ Colon cancer: Curcumin inhibits human colon carcinoma cells in vitro and in rats [Chen 1999,
Kawamori 1999].
NOTES 'N QUOTES
▪ 'Ölena is listed in an Assyrian herbal written around 600 BC.
▪ Tumeric is native to India and Indonesia. India, which produces and consumes almost all of the
whole world's tumeric, has a history of use dating back almost 4000 years.
▪ Marco Polo compared the similarities of turmeric to saffron in 1280.
▪ In India, Tumeric is stored in 20' deep pits and can last as long as 3 to 4 years.
▪ In the 1870's, turmeric was used to test the acidity or alkalinity (pH) of substances. Alkaline
substances would turn the orange tumeric powder brown.
▪ Potent snakebite antivenom is made in Brazil from Curcuma longa.
▪ Along with Zingiber officinale ('awapuhi päkë / ginger), 'ölena is our best Hawaiian food-quality
anti-oxidant. It is not universally used in the way ginger is, and warrants a bit more attention to
create an "energetically balanced" formula.
▪ And just in case you were wondering... Curcuma longa is believed to ward off snakes, ghosts, evil
spirits, and used as a paste to repel crocodiles. (It is not yet known if it repels telemarketers.)
”Dear Reader,
E kala mai, please do not pirate (copy or give away) this PDF file. It has taken eight years to research
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Thank you for your kind support of this work and our 'Äina. Aloha no käkou.”
Mahalo,
David Bruce Leonard
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