Turmeric and its uses

Introduction

This fact sheet provides basic information about the herb ( plant or part of a plant used for its flavor, scent, or potential therapeutic properties. Includes flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems, and roots. turmeric—common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information). Turmeric, a shrub related to ginger, is grown throughout India, other parts of Asia, and Africa. Known for its warm, bitter taste and golden color, turmeric is commonly used in fabric dyes and foods such as curry powders, mustards, and cheeses. It should not be confused with Javanese turmeric.

Common Names : turmeric, turmeric root, Indian saffron

Latin Names : Curcuma longa

What It Is Used For

* In traditional Chinese medicineA whole medical system that originated in China. It is based on the concept that disease results from disruption in the flow of qi and imbalance in the forces of yin and yang. Practices such as herbs, meditation, massage, and acupuncture seek to aid healing by restoring the yin-yang balance and the flow of qi. and Ayurvedic medicineA whole medical system that originated in India. It aims to integrate the body, mind, and spirit to prevent and treat disease. Therapies used include herbs, massage, and yoga., turmeric has been used to aid digestion and liver function, relieve arthritis pain, and regulate menstruation.
* Turmeric has also been applied directly to the skin for eczema and wound healing.
* Today, turmeric is used for conditions such as heartburn, stomach ulcers, and gallstones. It is also used to reduce inflammation, as well as to prevent and treat cancer.

How It Is Used

Turmeric's finger-like underground stems (rhizomes) are dried and taken by mouth as a powder or in capsules, teas, or liquid extracts. Turmeric can also be made into a paste and used on the skin.

What the Science Says

* There is little reliable evidence to support the use of turmeric for any health condition because few clinical trials have been conducted.
* Preliminary findings from animal and laboratory studies suggest that a chemical found in turmeric—called curcumin—may have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, but these findings have not been confirmed in people.
* NCCAM-funded investigators are studying the active chemicals in turmeric and their effects—particularly anti-inflammatory effects—in people to better understand how turmeric might be used for health purposes.


Side Effects and Cautions

* Turmeric is considered safe for most adults.
* High doses or long-term use of turmeric may cause indigestion.
* In animals, high doses of turmeric have caused liver problems. No cases of liver problems have been reported in people.
* People with gallbladder disease should avoid using turmeric as a dietary supplementA product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements., as it may worsen the condition.
* Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Sources

* Turmeric. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Web site. Accessed on December 27, 2006.
* Turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn.) and curcumin. Natural Standard Database Web site. Accessed on December 28, 2006.
* Turmeric root. In: Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckman J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2000:379–384.

Preventing Pedicure Foot Spa Infections

Guidance from the EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Outbreaks of skin infections on the legs and feet of patrons following spa pedicures have caused concern about spa safety. This page provides information for customers of salon pedicure foot spas which can help reduce the potential for infections associated with pedicure foot spa use. Information for salon foot spa owners, operators, and workers.


Protect Your Skin!

* Microorganisms in foot spas can enter through the skin; so broken skin (e.g., cuts and abrasions) should not come into contact with foot spa water.
* Do not shave, use hair removal creams, or wax your legs during the 24 hours before receiving treatment in a foot spa.
* Do not use a foot spa if your skin has any open wounds such as bug bites, bruises, scratches, cuts, scabs, poison ivy, etc.

Identifying an Infection

Open wounds appear on the skin of feet and legs. Initially they may look like insect bites, but they increase in size and severity over time, and sometimes result in pus and scarring.

Cause of Infections

Some incidents of foot spa infections have been caused by Mycobacterium fortuitum. This organism can occur naturally in water and soil. Other organisms have also been found in footbath systems. The screens and tubes of foot spas are particularly good places for the bacteria to collect and grow, often forming dense layers of cells and proteins called biofilms, which can be very hard to remove.

Know how the salon cleans and disinfects foot spas.

* Ask salon workers how the foot spas are maintained and how often.
* A foot spa should be disinfected between each customer, and nightly. The disinfectant needs to work for the full time listed on its label, typically 10 minutes, depending on the type of disinfectant.
* Proper cleaning and disinfection can greatly reduce the risk of getting an infection by reducing the bacteria that can build up in the foot spa system.

Disinfectants used in the foot spa should indicate on the label that they're approved for hospital use.

A disinfectant label should clearly show its uses and that it is EPA-approved. Read more details about the disinfectant label.
# Salons should use an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant
# The label (at right) should list relevant product information, including:

1. The terms "Disinfectant" and also "Hospital" or "Medical" or "Health Care". This indicates the product can be used as a disinfectant on surfaces in these environments.
2. The EPA registration number.
3. Some products may have instructions for both sanitizing and disinfecting footbaths. Pedicurists should follow disinfecting directions.

spa bath

A spa bath is a ‘self-contained body of warm water designed for sitting rather than swimming in, which has a mechanism to ensure the water flows around the user’. It is designed for a small number of people to use at one time. The water temperature is kept between 30 to 40 Degree C, and is not usually drained between users, so has to be continually filtered and cleaned. A hydrojet circulation or air induction bubble system is used to stir up the water. You may also call your spa bath a spa pool, hot spa, hot tub, portable spa, or whirlpool spa (a term commonly used in American publications). ‘Jacuzzi’ is the trade name for one type of spa bath.

What is a "Health Spa?"

The Act defines a health spa as "any person, firm, corporation, organization, club or association engaged in the sale of memberships in a program of physical exercise, which included the use of one or more of a sauna, whirlpool, weight-lifting room, massage, steam room, or exercising room or device."

Within the context of the Act, the term "health spa" does not include " bona fide nonprofit organizations, including, but not limited to, the Young Men's Christian Association, Young Women's Christian Association, or similar organizations whose functions as health spas are only incidental to their overall functions and purposes; any private club owned and operated by its members; any organization primarily operated for the purpose of teaching a particular form of self-defense such as judo or karate; any facility owned or operated by the United States; any facility owned or operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia or any of its political subdivisions; any nonprofit public or private school, college or university, and any club providing tennis or swimming facilities located in a residential planned community or subdivision, developed in conjunction with the development of such community or subdivision, and deriving at least eighty percent of its membership from residents of such community or subdivision; and any facility owned and operated by a private employer exclusively for the benefit of its employees, retirees, and family members and which facility is only incidental to the overall functions and purposes of the employer's business and is operated on a nonprofit basis."