UPDATE: The recent evidence I could see indicates the opposite. Curcumin and Ginger may help against COVID-19. But we need further research.
Original Question:
I understand that COVID-19 thrives and causes infection when ACE2 is expressed.
I found some papers indicating selenium, curcumin and ginger inhibits ACE, thus leading to increased expression of ACE2.
Should we conclude that taking ginger / turmeric extract (curcumin) supplements (liquid or powder) may increase the risk of COVID-19 infection? Paper 7 seems to be contradictory but I could not understand it well.
My understanding is they make us vulnerable for catching the infection but when we are infected, they can help with their anti-inflammatory mechanism to reduce cytokine storms, thus leading to survival.
- Paper 1 indicates: "ACE inhibitors actually INCREASE expression of ACE2"
- Paper 2 indicates "Among phytochemicals, curcumin treatment significantly inhibited the concentration and activity of ACE, concentration of AngII, and mRNA expression of ACE
- Paper 3 indicates "Curcumin is known to have no significant difference in inhibiting ACE compared to Captopril, but when it was incorporated in the self-nanoemulsifying carrier, it slightly increased the inhibitory effect on ACE."
- Paper 4 indicates "It is noteworthy that treatment with dietary curcumin inhibits oxidative stress and inflammation, as we have reported previously. Moreover, curcumin attenuates fibroblast proliferation and TGFβ1/Smads expression, as noted in the present study; this action may concomitantly attenuate reactive myocardial fibrosis via a pressure-dependent or -independent pathway. We found that dietary treatment with cur-cumin reduced expression of the AT1 receptor and enhanced expression of both the AT2 receptor and ACE2. These results suggest that curcumin modulates not only Ang II/AT1/AT2 receptor-dependent signaling pathways, but also activates an ACE2-mediated mechanism that modulates myocardial fibrosis. "
- Paper 5 indicates: "Treatment with curcumin suppressed ACE expression in TAA liver and reversed the toxicity produced"
- Paper 6 indicates: "Ginger and turmeric rhizomes are used in folk medicine for the treatment of hypertension but the mechanism remains unclear. Pre-treatment with both rhizomes respectively caused a significant decrease in ACE and arginase activities with a concomitant increase in nitric oxide (NO) level.Dietary supplementation of ginger and turmeric rhizomes inhibited ACE and arginase activities as well as increased NO production in L-NAME induced hypertensive rats. These activities could suggest possible mechanism of action for their antihypertensive benefits in traditional medicine"
- Paper 7 indicates: "we suggested that nelfinavir and lopinavir may represent potential treatment options, and kaempferol, quercetin, luteolin-7-glucoside, demethoxycurcumin, naringenin, apigenin-7-glucoside, oleuropein, curcumin, catechin, and epicatechin-gallate were the most recommended compounds found in medicinal plants that may act as potential inhibitors of COVID-19 Mpro".
[1] https://www.evolutamente.it/covid-19-pneumonia-inflammasomes-the-melatonin-connection/
[2] Article Effects of Phytochemicals on Blood Pressure and Neuroprotect...
[3] Article In Vitro Study on Antihypertensive and Antihypercholesterole...
[4] Article Attenuation of myocardial fibrosis with curcumin is mediated...
[5] Article Effects of curcumin on angiotensin-converting enzyme gene ex...
[6] Article Effect of dietary supplementation of ginger and turmeric rhi...
[7] https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202003.0226/v1/download
Munkhtsetseg Banzragch Thanks for your interest, the articles were referenced at the bottom. Is there a problem with accessing them?
It is a big myth that curcumin and ginger make us vulnerable to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Hello Dear,
Curcumin enhanced the expression of ACE 2 and since ACE 2 is the entry point of CORONA virus so curcumin may be helpful in virus entry but Ginger does inhibition of ACE 2 so here ginger is beneficial in inhibiting the entry of virus via ACE 2.
Herbs cannot make us vulernable to any kind of pathogens due to the presence of predominant active compounds in it & their holistic properties that are still unknown.
Regarding specific curcumin I dont think there is any litrature proof that it helps virus or enhace the vulnerability. However, many scientific literature edows that it also contain anti-viral properties thats needs to be investigated at broad level.
Pls Ref for further knowledge: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6509173/.
Thanks
Respected Ojha Sir,
Ayush has included turmeric milk in the list on the basis that it aids in making our immunity stronger. Turmeric is loaded with anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties due to the presence of curcumin. Curcumin has known immune system modulation properties and it alters immune response so as to avoid hypersensitivity reaction. Bronchial problems actually result from the hypersensitive reaction of the immune system and Curcumin helps balance these reactions – proves to be a fast relief .
But at the same time studies(Article Effects of curcumin on angiotensin-converting enzyme gene ex...
; Attenuation of myocardial fibrosis with curcumin is mediated by modulating expression of angiotensin II AT1/AT2 receptors and ACE2 in rats )reported that curcumin significantly increased the protein level of ACE2 and enhanced its expression.
"My understanding is they make us vulnerable for catching the infection but when we are infected, they can help with their anti-inflammatory mechanism to reduce cytokine storms, thus leading to survival." it would serve us all well to conduct a thorough analysis of all the data and the history of it's use for over 10,000 years before drawing conclusion.
We must all be aware of FAKE NEWS due to the dark interests of the Big Pharma and their propaganda against natural cures and remedies. Especially, when it comes to propaganda against natural food items used safely for a very long period. I'm not talking about exotic animals but just herbs and spices alone. Hypocrites paraphrased - "Let thy food be thy medicine, let thy medicine be thy food". This was so "offensive" in those days that he was incarcerated and died in jail deprived of freedom. Kind of like now during the COVID-19 SHUT-DOWN for some of us. LOL
Turmeric is interestingly popular in Turkish & Arabic culture for millennia known as KURKUM. CHAI KURKUM! Many modern Indians have completely forgotten about the exceptional healing power of turmeric and ginger after the Britts in late 1800's outlawed one of the 3 main ingredients of Ayurveda, cannabis, in favor of whiskey/alcohol. The other two, ginger and turmeric were shoved aside for the new western medicine that benefited the East India Company then. Turmeric is still an integral part of the Hindu/Buddhist/Indian culture and maintains its pinnacle status among sacred items. The color yellow, that of turmeric, is also considered austere. All these are a result of over 10,000 years of human experience. BTW at best I'm an agnostic.
In my opinion, ginger and turmeric, will be proven to be the most effective weapon against COVID-19 and all its future cousins. I've used it with incredible success against a multitude of symptoms and conditions. in fact, I feel so confident that I would be among a few worldwide immune to FLU for the past 5 years during heavy use. Of course, there is no 100% guarantee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcmTMldyvJA
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/covid-19-scare-shoots-up-demand-for-indias-raw-turmeric/articleshow/74666869.cms?from=mdr
Thank you for all the answers.
But almost all the answers say NO with little supporting evidence or explanation. It's of course clear that we need to have specific experiments to verify this. That's why I asked "MAY IT", which means "is it probable & worth investigating", without certainty. If anyone has scientific references which constructed your idea, please feel free to share.
Ankita Chakotiya , thanks for your clear explanation. Can you please provide references on ginger's inhibition of ACE 2? In the literature, I saw it inhibits ACE, not ACE2.
Ankit Tanwar , Thank you for the paper, it made me think "curcumin may be increasing ACE2 but if it's also providing anti-viral properties, it could also protect us from infection. So we may need specific experiment to see which side is stronger".
Ravi Ananth , Your answer is offensive and unkind. I recommend you to avoid such answers if you don't know the author. I myself use turmeric *daily* and find relief. I saved myself from several infections thanks to turmeric and ginger. The reason I post this question is to make sure it doesn't harm me or any other people in this COVID-19 process. Nothing in this question is relevant to my university because I don't study biology or medicine. That's why I'm asking for expert opinion with scientific evidence. I'm not the one to make final conclusions, hence asking for help! Keep your offenses to yourself!
Ok ARKADESH! I'll retract. Since you didn't cut/paste my words yet, I was able to eat them without much pain :-) I have even deleted the potentially offensive stuff. Now that I know you are on the correct side :-) It may even have been a knee-jerk reaction. LOL after all the turmeric bashing I've experienced in recent years.
I was just joking about the name of your Univ. I'm sure it is a wonderful university. I myself went to IIT (Idiot Institute of Technology), just kidding! You should see how much fun people have with my 16 letter long name. I should've been more sensitive. LOL
- "May curcumin & ginger make us vulnerable to COVID-19? " is quite suggestive, isn't it?
- "It's of course clear that we need to have specific experiments to verify this" Isn't it ironical that none have bothered with this type of research yet after 10,000 years of use? Who would fund such an effort? WHO - UN? Not until they are produce of China? LOL :-)
"I myself use turmeric *daily* and find relief."
- Q1. How much per day?
- Q2. How long have you used it for?
- Q3. How do you consume it?
- Q4. What was your objective for taking it?
- Q5. Ginger or Turmeric or both? (with black pepper)
- Q6. What form do you use it in? Fresh, dry powder, extract liquid, pills?
- Q7. What negatives if any have you found? Besides irrational fear :-)
- A1. 3-5 grams of powder per day. In hot lemonade.
- A2. 4-6 years.
- A3. Orally and through skin topically.
- A4. Severe side-effects from BP and Diabetes medications.
- A5. Both
- A6. All forms.
- A7. None yet!
If other users can share their use pattern and reasons, we could try tabulating some of our observations.
Scientific articles show that ACE2 is down in hypertensive and diabetic patients. Why are these patients in the high risk group for Covid-19?
Rainer Stock I may be wrong but AFAIK they take hypertension drugs which increase ACE2 expression, that's why they are vulnerable.
There is an interesting article in Science Translational Medicine by Derek Lowe about Angiotensin and the Coronvirus.
He wrote:
"A recent letter to The Lancet has noted that comorbidities reported so far for severe coronavirus patients include hypertension and either type I or type II diabetes. These patients are often being treated with ACE-1 inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor antagonists. The tricky part is that both diabetes itself and treatment with either of those drug classes increases the expression of ACE-2 protein. At first thought, that would probably not be a good thing, loading up the cells with more viral target proteins. But wait: there’s another effect, as noted in this new paper. It builds on reports from China to suggest that a mechanism of lung injury during the viral infection may be through inappropriate effects of excess free angiotensin-II protein, which is floating around out there because the ACE-2 that would normally be soaking it up is occupied by coronavirus particles. If that’s the problem, then increasing the amount of ACE-2 protein might paradoxically be just what you want to do to restore some balance to the angiotensin system. In that case administering more angiotensin receptor antagonists would be an effective way to upregulate the production of ACE-2."
Article Curcumin Suppression of Cytokine Release and Cytokine Storm....
No curcumin does not make you more susceptible to Covid-19 infection, in fact it helps you fight it. 500mg daily is enough.
Ahmet Emre Aladağ , Dr. Francisco Airton and I think this could become a useful therapeutic resource for reducing coronavirus infectivity in the human cell. Look at our preprint: Francisco Rocha, Marcos de Assis. Turmeric against Covid-19: too much of a coincidence?. Authorea. April 15, 2020. DOI: 10.22541/au.158696104.40782844. Best regards.
Dear Rainder, look at this link https://doi.org/10.22541/au.158696104.40782844 or https://www.authorea.com/users/311574/articles/442272-turmeric-against-covid-19-too-much-of-a-coincidence?commit=36a3b643f2b391145207ca793e30888a57dbaf5a
Note that the world is discussing why such low death rates in India - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52435463
Regards.
Increasing ACE2 seems to be important. https://online.reed.es/DOI/PDF/ArticuloDOI_7137.pdf
Yes Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Amla powder, Tulsi, Turmeric, Ginger & Garlic will be helpful in increasing resisting capacity
I think that taking ginger / turmeric extract (curcumin) supplements increases immunity and strengthens it, as well as being an antioxidant that protects body cells from infections.
Ahmet Emre Aladağ
In addressing this important question, it is necessary to know:
1.) whether the increase in ACE2 occurs in vivo in humans; and
2.) if so, whether the ACE2 increase favors any specific tissues or is a generalized effect.
This second question appears to be of importance because I have read that circulating ACE2 (not bound to mucosal or other cell surfaces) can have an anti-infective effect as it reduces the amount of coronavirus available for binding to susceptible tissue cells.
Consider:
COVID-19 Infection and Circulating ACE2 Levels: Protective Role in Women and Children
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2020.00206/full
Dear collegues:
Now the paper was accepted on a peer-review journal.
Curcumin as a potential treatment for COVID ‐19
Francisco Airton Castro Rocha Marcos Renato de Assis
Phytother Res. 2020;10.1002/ptr.6745. doi:10.1002/ptr.6745
published online ahead of print, 2020 May 22
Article Curcumin as a potential treatment for COVID‐19
There is also a publication in silica showing an effect on the main protease of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 MPro), offering another potential therapeutic mechanism that would impair viral replication.
Now we really need a clinical trial to say anything more.
I think it is not advisable to take turmeric of any species because they have curcumin phytochemical which increases the protein level of ACE2 with high expression in the intermyocardium relative to the Ang II group. Ref:Article Attenuation of myocardial fibrosis with curcumin is mediated...
ACE2 acts as cellular doorways to Sars-Cov-2, "
Targeting ACE2 – Closing COVID-19’s cellular doorway" https://www.cas.org/blog/ace2-covid-19-target
During non-Covid 19 season, perhaps it is ok to take Curcumin but during this pandemic, sars-cov-2 might bind with the ACE2 in the muscular heart tissue that would lead to heart failure. Some news that might be related because Curcumin is widely consumed in India "Covid-19 positive villager dies of heart attack in Ludhiana" http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/75643090.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/italian-covid19-patient-who-was-cured-dies/1773992
Heart attack or coronavirus death: No autopsy, Karnataka experts suggest study
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/heart-attack-or-coronavirus-death-no-autopsy-karnataka-experts-suggest-study-6376527/
This might also the reason why in the UK, more Asian (Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshi) susceptible to Covid 19, perhaps this is due to their diet of curries that consists of Haldi or Turmeric (Contains Curcumin). "
Indians at greater risk from COVID-19 in UK's health sector: Report https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/nris-in-news/indians-at-greater-risk-from-covid-19-in-uks-health-sector-report/articleshow/75494477.cms?from=mdr
Many herbs and natural spices and other spices have healing, anti-cancer properties, enhancing the body's immunity, i.e. increasing the scale of overcoming disease factors (viral, bacterial, fungal and other) by the body's natural immune system. This knowledge has thousands of years and is still valid and there are more and more scientific confirmations of this thesis. In addition, traditional medicine and cosmetology are increasingly using the knowledge of natural medicine. In this way, a new branch of implementation of the concept of sustainable development appears.
Greetings,
Dariusz Prokopowicz
I don't think there are any concrete studies. A cohort study could be done. Best regards.
Being an Ayurveda doctor, I would strongly oppose the statement.
considered to be having antiviral and immunomodulatory effect.
See the links
http://www.ijhas.in/article.asp?issn=2278-344X;year=2020;volume=9;issue=5;spage=43;epage=50;aulast=Rajagopal
Article Curcumin: a Wonder Drug as a Preventive Measure for COVID19 Management
Article: Curcumin as Adjuvant Therapy in COVID-19: Friend or Foe?
http://www.jidmr.com/journal/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/70-M20_1144_Jeanne_Adiwinata_Pawitan_Indonesia.pdf
Happy reading...
Certainly not! I have been taking Ginger and turmeric every day before and during COVID-19 time. Even though I am an older adult at higher risk, no symptoms for COVID-19, or any other related infections or other illnesses for a long time. Moreover, have been working full time in the medical center (where many people visit), visiting grocery and other stores. I have traveled extensively before COVID time.