Turmeric, curcumin and Acrolein — Small Practices Linking Research and Daily Life
Turmeric, known in Japan as ukon, has long been used as a spice and a folk remedy in South Asia.
Its bright yellow compound, curcumin, has attracted much attention. In the laboratory, curcumin shows antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and even binds directly to acrolein, a toxic by-product linked to stroke and dementia. These are promising findings, though they remain at the stage of basic and small-scale clinical studies.
Acrolein
Acrolein has been studied in Japan as a marker for hidden strokes and cognitive decline. A biotech venture, Aminopharma Research Institute, has developed blood tests based on acrolein, which are already used in medical check-ups.
Research is ongoing, also in relation to dementia, where small vascular damage and oxidative stress are believed to play a role.
In daily life, turmeric is much more familiar. In India and Bangladesh, people still take it as home remedies: mixed with warm milk for fever, applied as a paste for headaches or skin problems, or brewed as a tea for stomach pain. These practices are deeply rooted in local culture.
I myself have taken turmeric powder for nearly twenty years. A pharmacist friend grows it, and I mix a small spoonful with hot water every day. To improve absorption, I add a pinch of black pepper, since curcumin is better absorbed with piperine. Because it is fat-soluble, taking it with meals also helps. For me, it has simply become a small ritual of daily life.
What can we really say at this point?
- It is difficult to prove statistically that strokes are rarer in South Asia.
- It is certain, however, that turmeric is widely used there in folk medicine.
- Curcumin research shows hopeful results, especially in relation to stroke and dementia markers.
Health is our most important capital.
Science and personal practice are not always the same, but going back and forth between them — trying, observing, and learning — is what I have continued to do.
