Eye Vitamins: Turmeric and Curcumin


display of turmeric root and ground turmeric spice

Can turmeric cure eye problems?

While there is no clear conclusive evidence for treatment of eye disease with the turmeric active ingredient; curcumin, there have been many animal studies in which curcumin holds promise as a potential treatment for various eye diseases:

Dry Eye Syndrome.

Dry eye is a disease which is caused by many factors.  It is an imbalance of tear secretion by the glands of the eye, resulting in a cascade of signs and symptoms of redness, burning, blur, and discomfort. 

The process of dry eye involves inflammation, leading to swelling, pain and eye surface disease. Curcumin is an anti-inflammatory that has  therapeutic potential to decrease the inflammation associated with dry eye disease.

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the thin, clear membrane that covers the ‘white’ of the eye and the inner lining of the lids.  There are many causes of conjunctivitis:

  • viral infection
  • bacterial infection,
  • dry eyes,
  • allergens, both air borne and chemical,
  • contact lenses over-wear, and
  • chronic UV light exposure.

So far, it has been shown in animal models(mice) to inhibit inflammation and allergic cell response to allergens. It is also thought to be an anti-microbial  for treatment of conjunctival infections.

Retinal Detachment

Curcumin is thought to reduce the cascade which results in secondary retinal detachments.

Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is  a complication associated with both diabetes types I and II.  It is characterized by retinal swelling (edema), blood vessel leakage, cell death, and extra blood vessel growth (neovascularization.) 

These sighs of diabetic retinopathy are the result of high glycemic levels in the blood stream, causing oxidative stress and inflammation of blood vessels and associated retinal nerve cells. 

Curcumin has been studied to evaluate its capability to reduce neovascularization by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) within the retina of diabetic mice. It also has potential to reduce the retina’s oxidative stress and chronic inflammation associated with diabetic retinopathy..

Age Related Macular Degeneration(AMD)

AMD is a progressive loss of vision in the very central, acute vision area of the retina.  It is usually a disease of age, resulting from a lifetime of oxidative stress and environmental assault, in combination with underlying genetic factors.

Curcumin was found to decrease the expression of inflammatory genes, decreased oxidative stress, and prevented cell death in the retinas of animal models (mice.)  It has the potential as an anti-inflammatory therapy to be useful in the clinical management of AMD.

Also see: The 7 Truths about AMD

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease of progressive retinal nerve death, secondary to an imbalance of aqueous fluid inflow and outflow. Commonly, glaucoma is characterized by high eye pressure and progressive visual field loss.  It is one of the predominant causes of blindness in the world.

Studies have shown that curcumin may reduce the oxidative stress on the fluid outflow system called the trabecular meshwork.  It also has the potential to decrease  inflammation of this structure to help maintain fluid outflow and stabilize eye pressure.’

Also see: 5 Novel Natural Dietary Supplements for Treatment and Control of Glaucoma

Cataracts:  Can turmeric cure cataracts?

image of a dilated pupil with a cloudy lens, cataract
Nuclear sclerotic cataract

Studies with mouse models indicate that curcumin may play a role in delaying the onset and progression of certain types of cataracts.

Cataracts are a cloudiness that forms in the lens as a result of oxidative stress (UV light exposure, hyperglycemia of diabetes.) Curcumin may  have the capability to prevent cataracts by inhibiting depletion of antioxidants (most likely vitamin C), and preventing uncontrolled formation of free radicals. (Ref:  Therapeutic potential of curcumin in eye diseasesOpens in a new tab.  )

Autosomal Dominant Retinitis pigmentosa.

retinal image of retinitis pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa

RP is a common cause of hereditary retinal degeneration in adults. It is characterized by a progressive loss of photoreceptor cells of the retina, with progressive visual field loss and night blindness.

There is ongoing research to determine if curcumin helps reduce the progression of retinitis pigmentosa in those with the autosomal dominant mutation. Curcumin has the potential to decrease oxidative stress and reduce cell death by decreasing damaging protein build-u.(Ref:  Rescue of photoreceptor degeneration by curcuminOpens in a new tab.…)

What is the difference between turmeric and curcumin?

Turmeric is known as the “golden spice,” for its bright orange-yellow color. It is derived from an underground stalk, called a rhizome, of a tropical plant, much like ginger. It is one of the spices common to curry powder and is a staple in Indian cooking. 

Curcumin is the active ingredient of turmeric. It is the curcumin which has the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. The curcuminoids account for about 2 – 9% of turmeric. The spice is also a source of vitamin C and magnesium.

Turmeric and Curcumin  for Health

Historically, turmeric has been used in ancient Indian medicine  to treat heart disease, brain and cognitive disorders, arthritis, cancer, and digestive disorders. There are presently many ongoing studies evaluating curcumin and its role in cancer prevention, anti-aging, mood disorders, heart disease, digestive disorders, and disorders of the eye.

Curcumin and Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a well know, but little understood cause of dementia. It is characterized by neurofibrillary  tangles and amyloid plaques in the brain.

There have been a few clinical studies linking curcumin with prevention or possible reversal of some pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Turmeric (Curcumin) Supplements

One ongoing issue with turmeric and its active ingredient curcumin, is it’s limited bio-availability, which means that when it is ingested, a limited or reduced amount is absorbed by the body. Only a small percentage of the active ingredients will be available for health benefit.  This limits its therapeutic potential.

Researchers have made efforts to improve curcumin’s bioavailability by combining it with other substances.

Besides low bioavailability there are several other factors that limit curcumin’s value as a therapeutic agent:

  1. It has low water solubility,
  2. Lack of purity of curcumin extracts.  Extracts are a mixture of curcuminoid substances, all found in turmeric.
  3. Depending on the environment, curcumin degrades into other compounds.

Ref: Curcumin as a Therapeutic Option in Retinal DiseasesOpens in a new tab.

When evaluating which turmeric supplement to use, look for an additional substance like piperine. This black pepper extract, when combined with curcumin,  increase its bio-availability by 2000%.

 The supplement should also indicate that it has curcumoid extracts of 95% for optimal benefits. (Remember, supplement claims are not regulated by the FDA.)

Micelle ( or Liposomal)  Technology for Curcumin Solubility

Curcumin is a ‘lipid-loving’ substance, meaning it does not dissolve well in water.  Micelle technology is a form of ‘nano’ delivery system (nanotechnology), which encapsulates the curcumin in a tiny water soluble ‘package’ to make it water soluble.   This curcumin containing micelle is more easily distributed in the fluids of the bowels to better increase its uptake into the blood stream. It is also thought to protect it on its passage through the stomach.

Liposome is another form of nanotechnology delivery system which ustizeslipids as the delivery package.  

Side Effects and Safety of Supplementing with Turmeric and Curcumin

Curcumin has been found to be a relatively safe and efficacious, in large dosages, and was approved as a “generally regarded as safe” compound by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Clinical studies using high doses of 8 to 12 g per day, found it to be non- toxic and  well tolerated by animal and human subjects.

 However, there is some documented drug interactions, such as with anti-coagulant or anti-platelet medications, chemotherapeutic agents, and affects enzymes that help metabolize drugs when turmeric is taken in large doses.(Linus Pauling InstituteOpens in a new tab.)

Always consult with your doctor before launching into a new supplement regiment.

In the end….

Turmeric as a natural food supplement is used as a spice for flavor enhancement.  It is the active ingredients, particularly curcumin, which has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, VEGF inhibition, and anti-microbial (inhibits micro-organism growth) proprieties, which holds therapeutic potential as a treatment for several eye diseases.  The key word is potential.  Most studies on the efficacy of curcumin has been done in animal studies.

The limiting factor is it’s bioavailability. Curcumin is poorly absorbed, then rapidly metabolized and eliminated when taken as an oral supplement. More and larger human clinical trials are need to establish curcumin as an effective therapy for ocular disease.

 

 

Recent Posts

Skip to content