Is Turmeric Overrated? — Morning Glory Wellness

The hot herb everyone has talked about for the last 10 years has been turmeric (Curcuma longa). I see turmeric smoothies, capsules, added to every anti-inflammatory supplement, etc. While turmeric certainly has a lot of great benefits (NSAID, Anti-Cancer, heart heath etc), the reality is that it is poorly absorbed so you must take high amounts, and it is expensive for good quality products. Turmeric is mainly used for its NSAID (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) properties which is the same pathway used by Aspirin, Ibuprofen or Naproxen. A bottle of high-quality turmeric capsules could run between 40-50 dollars. Now, compared to some medications $40 a bottle isn’t that bad, but when compared to a $4 bottle of generic Ibuprofen it’s a little crazy.

Enter ginger (Zingiber officinale) . Ginger is a plant related to turmeric which is also used as a cooking spice. It is much cheaper than turmeric and well absorbed making a bottle cost between $5-$10. Ginger is also an NSAID, but it is also has well studied anti-nausea properties as well as a digestive aid and cardiovascular benefits. Even better, there are plenty of studies comparing it to ibuprofen or other treatments with dosages. For example, a study published in 2014 in the Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics found that 250mg of Ponstel (an NSAID) and 250 mg of ginger for menstrual relief, had no statistical difference in pain management, length of cycle and bleeding volume. (1) A similar study found no difference between ginger 250mg and ibuprofen 400mg for menstrual relief. There was even a study showing no difference between ginger and a newer combo drug of acetaminophen (main drug in Midol), ibuprofen, and caffeine! (2) There are even studies showing comparisons to post surgical pain, arthritis etc. (3) Some studies compare 250mg of ginger and some compare up to 1-2g of ginger if comparing 800mg of Ibuprofen.

Here is the biggest difference, Ibuprofen is known to cause ulcers, heart burn and other digestive disorders. Ginger is actually soothing to the digestive track with benefits shown in GI upset, gas and bloating as well as possibly helping to prevent ulcers! So, when a client has an acute injury, painful periods, or headaches, I always give them the option to switch out their NSAID for ginger, but even in cases where turmeric could be recommended I often see better results with ginger.

There are a few downsides to ginger. Ginger does not have the bright colors that turmeric has so turmeric’s anti-cancer and anti-oxidative properties are not present. This means there are some occasions that turmeric is useful and preferred. Secondly, because ginger is spicy, it does aggravate heartburn in some people, but so does Turmeric and ibuprofen.

In conclusion, I would say that this blog of course in just my opinion, but in my limited experience I’ve not seen effectiveness from turmeric that articles and even scientific papers have claimed over the years. I also find it to be cost prohibitive for many clients to get the results that those papers claim. Turmeric should be a part of everyone’s diet, but its supplementation for NSAID purposes should be questioned.

1. Ozgoli G, Goli M, Moattar F. Comparison of effects of ginger, mefenamic acid, and ibuprofen on pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea. J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Feb;15(2):129-32. doi: 10.1089/acm.2008.0311. PMID: 19216660.

2. Adib Rad H, Basirat Z, Bakouei F, Moghadamnia AA, Khafri S, Farhadi Kotenaei Z, Nikpour M, Kazemi S. Effect of Ginger and Novafen on menstrual pain: A cross-over trial. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol. 2018 Dec;57(6):806-809. doi: 10.1016/j.tjog.2018.10.006. PMID: 30545531.

3. Rayati F, Hajmanouchehri F, Najafi E. Comparison of anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Ginger powder and Ibuprofen in postsurgical pain model: A randomized, double-blind, case-control clinical trial. Dent Res J (Isfahan). 2017 Jan-Feb;14(1):1-7. doi: 10.4103/1735-3327.201135. PMID: 28348610; PMCID: PMC5356382.