Dr. JB Lim On Turmeric, Chromium, Lead & Related Issues

The blogger recently received from a friend Dr. Victor Hoe a video about the benefits of daily drinking of TURMERIC warm water. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SbyY4lva8w)  The said benefits include:

1.              Promotes heart health

2.              Reverses Type 2 diabetes

3.              Alkalizes body

4.              Protects brain

5.              Fights against inflammation

6.              Anti-cancer properties

7.              Relieves arthritis symptoms

8.              Improves digestion

9.              Liver protection

10.      Decelerates aging and promote longevity

Dr. Hoe subsequently sent the blogger a news report by United Daily News Taiwan regarding the test detection of heavy metals such as lead and chromium in samples of turmeric power (refer https://udn.com/news/story/9/2149580).

This prompted the blogger to seek the expert advice of his most-learned e-buddy Dr. Lim Ju Boo who graciously replied as follows:

From:     ju boo lim

Date:     Sat, Oct 21, 2017 at 12:09 AM

Dear Ir Lau

Thank you for your enquiry

Excessive Chromium in Foods

First of all, the news report you sent me about the presence of excessive lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) found in turmeric powder came from India and not from Malaysia.

So these findings on adulteration may not apply in Malaysia where we produce our own turmeric powder unless the packaging label there says "Made in India" or “From Bangladesh” where a similar report on lead contamination in turmeric in Bangladesh was published in 2014.

However you can check this with our local manufacturer of turmeric and curry powder on the levels of these two elements in their products.

As far as lead is concerned, I have no knowledge of any contamination of this heavy metal in turmeric sold in Malaysia.

But if you are unsure, then the safest turmeric is the fresh ones you bought in sundry shops, groceries and in vegetable markets.

The presence of lead in any foodstuff in Malaysia is strictly not allowed.

But I have no information on lead adulteration in turmeric in Malaysia so far.

However if you suspect the presence of any heavy metals you may send a sample to the Food Safety and Food Quality Control Division of the Ministry of Health Malaysia for analysis and for their action..

There was a published report on poor rural communities in Bangladesh being exposed to the harmful effects of lead in turmeric.

Lead poisoning is exacerbated by the already poor nutrition and micronutrient deficiency in some areas of Bangladesh from lead released into the air and waterways compounded by poor waste management and cottage industries as well as from the use of leaded petrol.

But these studies were done in Bangladesh, not in Malaysia.

The second thing I need to tell you is that, if the manufacture of turmeric powder in India wanted to enhance the yellow colour of turmeric powder, it is not likely they use chromium salts for this purpose.

This is because turmeric is already naturally quite yellow by itself, and I do not see the need of making them more yellow.

Even if they wanted, there are a few safer natural and compounds that have brighter yellow colour they could have used.

Examples are Indian saffron which of course is the most expensive spice, and vitamin B2 or riboflavin which is not only extremely yellow, but extremely safe.

These are natural yellow food colours they could have selected instead of adultering it with a chromium salt.

Chromium in Foods

 

Even if turmeric was accidentally contaminated with chromium salt or deliberately added, most foods already have a significant of chromium in them.

The soils on which all plants foods are grown contain chromium in them. The plant absorbs them in small quantities and all plant foods have trace amounts of chromium in them.

Foods such as cereal grains, wheat germ, whole grains, brewer yeast in particular, bran of cereals, broccoli, onion, tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, mushrooms, or black pepper, potatoes, eggs, dairy products like milk, cheese, brown rice, sea foods...etc are all rich in chromium.

Cr. is also present in human milk.

Human Absorption

However, the absorption of Cr from the human intestinal tract is poor.

The absorption rate is as low as 0.4 - 2.5 percent of the total amount consumed in the food, and the excess Cr is excreted in the faeces.

Role of Chromium in the Body

Chromium also plays an important role in glucose tolerance factor.

 

Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF) is a good compound that enhances better tolerance of sugar in the body. One compound that can do this is Cr.

Chromium acts as a physiological enhancer for insulin activity by binding it to insulin and potentiating its action by about three-fold. The rest are excreted out into the faeces

That implies that the chances of Cr toxicity is low since its absorption is poor, and any excess is easily thrown out.

However the absorption can be enhanced by the intake of vitamin C from citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons, as well as in many other tropical fruits such as guava and rambutan.

Even niacin (vitamin B3) from meat, fish, eggs, poultry and cereal grains promotes the absorption of chromium into the body.

The excess Cr if not excreted are then stored in the liver, spleen, soft tissues and bones.

Excessive Cr. is also excreted under some other conditions such as a diet high in refined sugars, or during an infection, severe exercise, or under stressful conditions.

Chromium is a very trace element requirement hardly classified as a micro nutrient in human nutrition.

Its requirement in human nutrition is hardly studied. Its requirement in males is about 30 mcg and for females about 20 mcg per day.

1 microgram or 1 mcg = 0.001 milligram

Although Cr requirement is exceedingly low, nevertheless Cr deficiency has been linked to type 2 maturity onset diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Refined foods such as refined sugars not only just increase Cr insufficiency, but in fact enhances its loses.

In contrast, increased intake of chromium improves glucose uptake tolerance.

Besides, it also showed improvement in serum lipid profile such as increasing the levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol as well as a significant improvement in glucose tolerance.

In other words, chromium normalizes blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of maturity-onset diabetes as well as cardiovascular diseases.

A study of 155 diabetic subjects in China demonstrated that chromium reduced glucose and insulin concentration.

Three trials reported data on Hb A1c, one study on persons with type 2 diabetes, the other on persons with impaired glucose tolerance, and on healthy subjects.

A study of diabetic subjects in China was the only one to report that chromium significantly reduced Hb A1c in diabetic patients.

Turmeric

As far as turmeric is concerned, literally thousands of papers have been published on its medicinal values and on its preventive and curative properties.

However, it is not the turmeric per se that its medicinal values lie.

It is an active principle in it, a polyphenol in this yellow spice called curcumin that is capable of improving the outcome of many diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Between 1998 - 2013, numerous studies both in vitro (cell and tissue culture studies) as well as animal studies (vivo studies) have shown the role of curcumin as a natural anti-diabetic agent.

At least 5 out of 19 human clinical trials have been conducted to study the mechanisms how turmeric works as an anti-diabetic natural medicine.

Ten mechanisms have been postulated, but we shall briefly mention only five here:

1. It acts by decreasing liver glucose production

2. It increases glucose uptake by gene expression of GLUT 4, GLUT

3 and GLUT 2

3. It enhances the production of insulin by the pancreas

4. It enhances insulin receptors beta and the reduction of insulin resistance

5. It stimulates AMP kinase activity

Anxiety of Turmeric

It is often said that the absorption of curcumin in turmeric by the body is very poor.

Actually this is not a significant problem because the oils in turmeric itself will increase its absorption and bioavailability of curcumin by 7 to 8 times.

About 5 percent of turmeric consists of curcumin, and about 5 percent of black pepper by weight comprise of a principle called pipeline, the substance that is said to tremendously increase the absorption of curcumin.

But in actual fact, it is not the black pepper that increases the absorption of curcumin per se.

The actual mechanism works this way.

Piperine is a potent inhibitor of drug metabolism in the liver, probably due to cytochrome P450 expression.

The liver gets rid of drugs and foreign substances, including even natural drugs like curcumin by turning them soluble in water so that it can be excreted through the bile.

What happens is that piperine in black pepper blocks this mechanism.

Hence when turmeric curcumin is given, it is actually absorbed even without black pepper.

But this is quickly excreted by the liver and this brings the blood level of curcumin down.

But when piperine in black pepper is given, it blocks the liver from excreting it rapidly, thus causing an apparent very rapid rise in absorption shown by a rapid rise in curcumin blood levels.

By blocking the excretion of curcumin, it will cause a rise in its blood level as more and more curcumin is eaten shortly after a turmeric rich meal such as curry lunch or dinner.

This rise in curcumin bioavailability can be seen as much as 2000 - 4000 percent.

However, a curry meal normally is already prepared with turmeric or turmeric powder added in together with white or black pepper.

Another way to boost the absorption of turmeric curcumin is to take turmeric in foods like curry which contains oil.

The natural oil in turmeric itself or in curry will increase the absorption and bioavailability of the curcumin by 7 - 8 times even without the retention kinetics of piperine.

Turmeric and Black Pepper

In any case, black or white pepper is normally already added in the preparation of curry and turmeric powder mixtures, and any additional black or white peppers during cooking is unnecessary. It will not enhance the absorption of curcumin any further.

Hence there is no rationale of taking curry with additional black or white pepper plus turmeric which is already present in large amount inside the curry powder mixtures.

Just be rational about this. Practice nutrition in a knowledgeable and in a qualified manner. Consult a well-trained nutritionist.

Do not go overboard by drinking turmeric tea mixed with black pepper.

This to me as a former senior medical research, a nutritionist and a doctor is not necessary.

Turmeric is known for its numerous therapeutic values through several thousands of published papers in scientific journals.

It looks like as if it is a panacea for almost all diseases including cancers. It is a wonderful spice, a herbal medicine, a nutritional adjunct, a prophylactic and curative natural medicine no doubt.

One example on its effect on cancer prevention is that, numerous studies have shown that the incidence of colorectal cancers (CRC) in India is very low where curry is consumed daily.

It is also very low among Indian and Pakistani communities living elsewhere in other countries including Indians in Malaysia.

The diet of Indians and Pakistanis worldwide is that they consume curries almost every day. This may explain their very low rate of CRC compared to other races.

The incidence of CRC among Malays with a mixed diet is mid way between.

Nutritionists and medical scientists attribute this to the presence of turmeric in curries of Indian diets.

But this could also be attributed to the combined effect of salicylates (aspirin) in curry powder since studies have also shown that aspirin can also reduce the incidence of CRC.

In summary, if one is taking just one teaspoonful of turmeric powder and similar amount of black pepper dissolved in hot water every morning, it is hardly likely to confer any health benefit.

Nor would it cause poisoning even if the turmeric power contains excessive amounts of chromium.

The amount of just one teaspoonful is far too small either to benefit or to harm.

But I am unsure about lead content as I do not have the data in the news report.

How did lead got into turmeric powder I have no idea.

But I do not think the turmeric powder manufactured here in Malaysia has excessive amounts of Cr or in Pb (lead).

The only way to find out is to send a sample of the turmeric powder for chemical analysis.

But once again as I have already recommended in the beginning of this answer, if you are not sure and to be safe, than buy the fresh turmeric from the vegetable market or the grocery stores and not the powder form.

I hope I have been of help in your enquiry.

Lim Ju Boo

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P/s: The blogger has been drinking one teaspoon of turmeric powder, half teaspoon of black pepper and one teaspoon of Flax Oil mixed with warm water every morning as suggested by the video since 12/10/2017. After reading Dr. Lim’s dissertation, the blogger can only come up with the following expression: