Fact Check: Can Turmeric Milk Purify Blood?

A Pinterest post claims that Turmeric milk can purify blood, This is False .

Claim

A Pinterest post titled “Benefits of Turmeric Milk” mentions various types of benefits of turmeric milk products. In the post the user Mesha says that turmeric milk provides multiple benefits. As per the user, turmeric milk provides benefits such as Purifies the blood, Boosts heart health, Prevents headaches, Clears the skin, Gets rid of acne, Helps lose weight, Improves blood circulation, Gives relief from arthritis, Gets rid of cold, Improves liver health, Improves digestion, Builds up the immune system and Helps manage pain.

Along with the other claims, the user claims that turmeric milk purifies blood. The post can be accessed here.

Fact Check

The claim by Pinterest User is FALSE.

Milk and its Nutritional Properties

Milk is a nutrient-dense food, supplying energy and high-quality protein with a range of essential micronutrients like calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and phosphorus in an easily absorbed form. Milk is rich in nutrients that are essential for good bone health, including calcium, protein, vitamin D, potassium, and phosphorus. 

Lactose found in milk, also known as “milk sugar” stimulates the growth of lactobacilli in the large intestine; these organisms synthesize many B vitamins. Lactose improves the absorption of several important minerals like calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. 

Health Benefits of Consuming Turmeric

Turmeric (Curcuma longa), commonly known as haldi, is widely used in Indian households, mainly as a spice. This plant, which belongs to the ginger family, is native to Southeast Asia and is primarily cultivated in that region, especially in India. Historically, turmeric has been utilized in Ayurveda and other traditional Indian medicinal practices, as well as in Eastern Asian systems like traditional Chinese medicine. In India, it was traditionally used for disorders of the skin, upper respiratory tract, joints, and digestive system.

Turmeric is also one of the major sources of curcumin which is also responsible for turmeric's distinctive yellow colour. Curcumin has received worldwide attention for its multiple health benefits, which appear primarily through its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Research suggests that curcumin can help manage oxidative and inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, anxiety, and hyperlipidemia.

How is blood purified?

The kidneys play a key role in purifying blood within the body. Healthy kidneys filter about half a cup of blood each minute, eliminating waste and excess water, which are then expelled as urine.

In cases of kidney failure, blood is purified through various therapies. Blood purification is a therapy that involves cleansing the blood outside the body, often used when conventional treatments like medications or surgery are ineffective. It removes toxins or harmful agents from the bloodstream using methods like dialysis, filtration, or adsorption. This therapy works quickly to clear out harmful substances and is mainly applied in three clinical areas: emergency care, such as plasmapheresis to eliminate toxins; life support, like hemodialysis for kidney failure; and treatment of metabolic or immune disorders, like immunoadsorption for autoimmune diseases.

Can Turmeric Milk Purify Blood?

Turmeric's active compound, curcumin, has been studied for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which may contribute to general detoxification but there is no scientific evidence to support the benefits of milk in blood purification. Further, no scientific evidence or medical consensus to support the claim that Turmeric milk can purify the blood. 

A paper published in the Pharmacological Research suggests that curcumin has potential benefits in managing cardiovascular-metabolic multimorbidity by improving endothelial function, reducing inflammation, and enhancing blood circulation. However, more research is needed to address its limitations, optimize its bioavailability, and explore its effectiveness in combination therapies for broader applications in cardiovascular-metabolic multimorbidity management.

A study led by Javad Sharifi-Rad et. al. found that curcumin, a compound in turmeric, offers antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, liver-protective, and heart-protective benefits.

Debjit Bhowmik et. al. conducted a study and found that, traditionally, turmeric has been used for blood purification and as a remedy for skin conditions. The study also emphasizes that turmeric and its main component, curcumin, are recognized for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Turmeric also offers several benefits, including reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, as well as aiding in the management of non-communicable diseases.

A review study published in the Nutrition Journal found that turmeric and curcumin may help protect individuals at risk of cardiovascular disease by improving serum lipid levels. Curcumin could serve as a well-tolerated dietary supplement alongside conventional medications.

A review published in the Journal of Functional Foods found that Curcumin found in turmeric can effectively enhance health by lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and aiding in the management of non-communicable diseases.

Turmeric possesses strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, mainly due to its active ingredient, curcumin. While turmeric may promote general well-being, there is no evidence to support the claim that turmeric milk purifies the blood.

The Medical Dialogues Fact Check Team spoke with Dr. Jeny Elizabeth George, Associate Consultant, Transfusion Medicine, Apollo Adlux Hospital Ernakulam She said, "The scientific evidence in modern medicine for using turmeric milk to purify blood is very limited. Scientifically, it is not proven. In traditional medicine, many findings claim it helps, but in modern medicine, there is no hematological evidence supporting the use of turmeric milk for purifying blood or increasing the number of blood cells. That's why we wouldn't recommend it without sufficient scientific studies. However, it is considered to be an antioxidant and is supposed to have anti-inflammatory effects, but these claims are more related to naturopathy or Ayurveda. Modern science does not endorse them."

Dr Govind Eriat, Consultant- Hematology & BMT Medicine, Gleneagles BGS Hospital Kengeri Bengaluru further explained, "Purification of blood and regeneration of your blood pool every day involves trafficking billions of senescent cells to be reclaimed by the reticuloendothelial system and producing new cells in the bone marrow. This complex affair may be aided by affecting the cellular milieu, with micro and macronutrients, and exercise. Curcumin has been known to ancient medicine cultures in healing, with special reference to topical and systemic use as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anticancer, hepatoprotective, and cardioprotective effects. In the last decades, modern science is researching these claims for scientific validation with mammalian tissue in genetic laboratories. Some clear cellular expression profiles have been shown to regulate the genes implicated in tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, chemotherapy resistance, and angiogenesis. New targetable biological therapy is being considered due to the pharmacokinetics of curcumin and it's low bioavailability. A recent paper ScienceDirect 2023 on Curcumia longa's effects Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been recently described in the peripheral blood as cells contributing to both physiological and pathological angiogenesis. Recent data shows curcumin as a systematic agent can heal these endothelial cells by decreasing oxidative stress, inflammation, abnormal Nitric oxide bioavailability, and cell adhesion. Better angiogenesis would decrease end-organ damage in diseases ranging from diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, dementia and vasculitis to cardiometabolic multimorbidity. It is important to note that turmeric milk alone cannot purify the blood."

Medical Dialogues Final Take

Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It offers neuroprotective, liver-protective, and heart-protective benefits. It may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Traditionally, turmeric has been used for blood purification. However, there is no scientific evidence or medical consensus to support the claim that Turmeric milk can purify blood.

Hence, the claim is FALSE.