IBS affects an estimated 20% of North Americans, with symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, flatulence, heartburn and fatigue. A recent study from the University of Reading in the UK has found that an extract of turmeric can help relieve symptoms of IBS.

In this study, 207 volunteers were divided into two groups and given either one or two tablets of a standardized turmeric extract daily for eight weeks. The researchers evaluated the volunteers’ IBS symptoms, quality of life and self-reported effectiveness of treatment. They found that IBS symptoms decreased significantly by 53% and 60% between
screening and after treatment. A post-study analysis showed the abdominal pain/discomfort score reduced significantly by 22% in the one-tablet group and 25% in the two-tablet group. There were also significant improvements in the quality of life answers, as two-thirds of participants reported an improvement in symptoms after treatment. There were no significant differences between the two groups, suggesting that even a little bit of turmeric goes a long way.

Source: J Altern Complement Med. 2004 Dec;10(6):1015-8