Food supplements are on the rise. Sold without a prescription, they promise to give you a boost or fill your deficiencies into vitamins. But before buying it, be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
Turmeric food supplements are not harmless
“”A food supplement, even natural, is not without consequences, especially when concentrated “ Confirms Dr. Aurélien Tesson, pharmacist. And it alerts in particular on turmeric, in capsules or concentrated in extract, which is not as harmless as it looks.
Indeed, this type of product is praised for its benefits against joint pain and digestive disorders. But the side effects are not uncommon, especially when turmeric is used without medical advice.
Unknown but very real interactions
“”We see more and more patients associating turmeric and chronic treatments, without always measuring the risks“Note Dr. Tesson. Behind this harmless habit, curcumin, active ingredient in turmeric, can disrupt the action of several current drugs. The pharmacist cites three in particular:
“”Curcumin can interact with several therapeutic classes:
- Anticoagulants;
- Antidiabetics;
- Proton pump inhibitors, used against acidic lifts … with the key an increased risk of bleeding, hypoglycaemia or digestive therapeutic failure “.
These interactions, still too little known to the general public, can therefore have heavy consequences. And the apparent safety of a natural product sold without a prescription helps to blur the lines. Turmeric remains a powerful anti-inflammatory, but it is not neutral.
When and how to use Turmeric without danger?
The message is not to prohibit turmeric, quite the contrary. “”This does not call into question the interest of turmeric in itself: it is a powerful natural anti-inflammatory, especially useful in joint disorders, chronic pain or digestive discomforts“, Specifies Dr. Tesson.
He nevertheless recalls that the role of the pharmacist, in this context, becomes capital.
“The role of the pharmacist is twofold: alerting these potential interactions, but also redirecting towards more safe use, for example, integrating turmeric into food, where its effects are softer and better tolerated”.
For him, “This vigilance is all the more important since certain supplements are very strongly dosed, sometimes without medical supervision or biological monitoring “.