TREE TURMERIC Overview Information
Tree turmeric is a plant. The fruit, stems, leaves, wood, root, and root bark are used to make medicine.
People take tree turmeric for heart failure, liver disease, malaria, an eye infection called trachoma, skin diseases, heavy menstrual periods, swelling of the stomach and intestines (gastroenteritis), diarrhea, and yellowed skin (jaundice).
Tree turmeric is sometimes applied directly to the skin to treat burns and wounds.
How does it work?
The chemicals in tree turmeric might cause stronger heartbeats. They might also be able to fight bacteria.
- Heart failure.
- An eye infection that can cause blindness (trachoma).
- Liver disease.
- Heavy menstrual periods.
- Yellowed skin (jaundice).
- Burns, when applied directly to the skin.
- Other conditions.
TREE TURMERIC Side Effects & Safety
There is not enough information to know if tree turmeric is safe for adults in medicinal amounts.
Special Precautions & Warnings:Children: Tree turmeric is UNSAFE in newborn infants. It contains a chemical called berberine that can cause kernicterus, a rare type of brain damage that can occur in newborns who have severe jaundice. Jaundice is yellowing of the skin caused by too much bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a chemical that is produced when the old red cells break down. Bilirubin is normally removed by the liver. Berberine may keep the liver from removing bilirubin fast enough.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It’s UNSAFE to take tree tumeric if you are pregnant because it contains a chemical called berberine. Researchers believe berberine can cross the placenta and might cause harm to the fetus. Kernicterus, a type of brain damage, has developed in newborn infants exposed to berberine.
It’s also UNSAFE to take tree tumeric if you are breast-feeding, because it contains a chemical called berberine. Berberine can be transferred to the infant through breast milk, and it might cause harm.
Major Interaction Do not take this combination
- Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune) interacts with TREE TURMERIC
The body breaks down cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune) to get rid of it. Tree turmeric might decrease how fast the body breaks down cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune). This might cause there to be too much cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune) in the body and potentially cause side effects.
Moderate Interaction Be cautious with this combination
- Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates) interacts with TREE TURMERIC
Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver.
Tree turmeric might decrease how quickly the liver breaks down some medications. Taking tree turmeric along with some medications that are broken down by the liver can increase the effects and side effects of some medications. Before taking tree turmeric, talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking any medications that are changed by the liver. Some medications changed by the liver include lovastatin (Mevacor), clarithromycin (Biaxin), indinavir (Crixivan), sildenafil (Viagra), triazolam (Halcion), and many others.
TREE TURMERIC Dosing
The appropriate dose of tree turmeric depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for tree turmeric. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.