6 Ways Turmeric Benefits In Leucorrhoea

Leukorrhea or leucorrhoea is a condition characterized by vaginal discharge.

It is generally not a harmful condition but can disrupt a woman’s normal life.

It is the most common reason for which women consult gynecologists.

It can be a thick or thin whitish, yellow discharge. Every woman experiences vaginal discharge but the amount and consistency vary in every individual.

Prior to the first menstrual cycle, girls may experience leukorrhea in which case it is considered as a sign of puberty. It can also occur at menopause.

It may be a recurrent situation or occur continuously for several years and become chronic. Causative factors include:

• Pregnancy
• Infection
• Inflammation of vagina or cervix
• Estrogen stimulation
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Presence of any foreign object (tampon, diaphragm) in the vagina for a long time
• IUDs or creams used for contraception
• Sexual intercourse
• Menstrual changes
• Poor hygiene

Discharge without any other complaints is not of serious concern but is a discomforting condition.

However, if it is a greenish, yellow discharge and presents with other symptoms like itching, pain, inflammation and burning sensation, then it is likely to be an infection.

The general line of treatment involves a course of antibiotics and change in hygiene habits. However, in most cases it is a recurrent situation and that draws our attention to alternative treatments.

How can turmeric help in Leukorrhea?

Turmeric is a herbal spice and its medicinal value is highly researched upon. The single bioactive compound isolated from turmeric that has received clinical attention is curcumin.

Curcumin’s therapeutic property is applied to various conditions like from wound healing to cancer.

Here I have put together a couple of ways by which turmeric can help in leucorrhoea without posing any side effects.

1. Turmeric can kill infectious microbes

Curcumin’s antimicrobial property acts against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Candida albicans is the most common infection that can cause leucorrhoea. Curcumin, as well as turmeric oil, have strong anti-fungal activity.  Experimental studies prove that curcumin is a promising anti-candidal agent.

Curcumin-based polyherbal cream is found to be effective against drug-resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Candida species.

Trichomonas vaginalis is a parasite that causes an infection, Trichomonosis. This condition is getting difficult to treat due to its resistance to an antibiotic (metronidazole). An experimental study  shows that curcumin is highly effective in inhibiting the growth of drug-resistant strains of this parasite.

What does this mean?
Curcumin and turmeric oil has excellent anti-microbial properties. They are effective against most of the organisms that could cause vaginal discharge or leucorrhoea.

2. Curcumin attenuates hormonal imbalance

Leukorrhoea can also occur as a result of an imbalance in estrogen levels. Curcumin is a proven phytoestrogen- plant source of estrogen.

Research shows that curcumin is not a potent phytoestrogen but its use is implicated in various conditions where estrogen plays a role in proliferation. Curcumin is also suggested as a dietary antioxidant for the hormonal imbalances occurring in menopause.

This could be a possible way by which curcumin/ turmeric could help in leucorrhoea but adequate research is required to prove this.

What does this mean?
Curcumin is a phytoestrogen and it should help in balancing hormonal issues that could cause leucorrhoea. Yet, there is a need for adequate research studies on this aspect.

3. Curcumin works synergistically with antibiotics

Studies show that curcumin can boost the action of antibiotics and also protect from the side effects of antibiotics.

If the infection is identified as the cause of leucorrhoea, the commonly prescribed antibiotics include metronidazole, fluconazole, and clindamycin.

Sharma et al report that curcumin can reverse multidrug resistance in Candida species and by this property it can promote the fungicidal activity of conventional anti-fungal drugs.

Fluconazole is the first line of treatment of fungal infection occurring in leukorrhea. Study proves that curcumin can act synergistically with fluconazole, thereby increasing the sensitivity of drug-resistant Candida species to antibiotics.

What does this mean?
Curcumin increases the anti-microbial effect of antibiotics and also reduces the side effects associated with it.

4. Curcumin works as an anti-microbial contraceptive

A study  investigating the contraceptive properties of curcumin reported that curcumin can block sperm function dose-dependently.

Additionally, researchers also examined curcumin’s effect against various microbes that cause vaginal infection.

At specific concentrations in the range of 50-100 micromolar, curcumin effectively blocked the growth of all infectious organisms.

These findings suggest that curcumin, in addition to contraception, can fight sexually transmitted diseases which could cause leucorrhoea.

What does this mean?
Research shows that curcumin is a novel anti-microbial contraceptive which does not pose any side effects. This could help in fighting STDs.

5. Turmeric wards off stress

Leukorrhoea is a common symptom in women facing high levels of emotional stress.  Changes in lifestyle could possibly alleviate stress.

In the recent times, quite a number of studies have been published reporting curcumin’s efficacy as an antidepressant. Curcumin can act in a number of ways to uplift the mood and balance mental health.

It makes use of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and also manipulates the brain chemicals in order to release stress and anxiety.  Studies on an animal model of stress confirm curcumin’s therapeutic potential in alleviating stress.

What does this mean?
Turmeric can alleviate stress, anxiety and depression which could trigger leucorrhoea in some women.

6. Turmeric reduces inflammation

Leucorrhoea if not managed or treated at initial stages can progress into Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) which is an infection of the upper part of the female reproductive system or it can also develop into inflammation of cervix and vagina (known as cervicitis and vaginitis respectively).

Turmeric and especially curcumin has strong anti-inflammatory properties.

It reduces the production of inflammation-causing chemicals, downregulates the activity of genes involved in inflammation and increases the level of anti-inflammatory chemicals produced in the body.

A proprietary polyherbal gel containing turmeric was tested for its efficacy against vaginitis and it was found that 7 days of treatment significantly reduced itching and discharge.

Within 14 days of treating inflammation and discharge was reduced in 84.97 and 71.105 of the study population.

What does this mean?
Chronic vaginal discharge or leucorrhoea can lead to inflammation of female reproductive tract. Turmeric works as an excellent anti-inflammatory agent.

Dosage

There is no specific dosage of turmeric for leucorrhoea.

The best way of using turmeric for treating leucorrhoea is to include it in your diet. You can make the Golden Paste and add a dollop of it to your salad, soup or rice preparation. Turmeric Milk on a daily basis should help.

You can browse the website for a couple of more recipes with turmeric. Therapeutic dosage of turmeric for most conditions is:

• Cut root- 1.5 to 3 g per day
• Dried, powdered root- 1 to 3 g per day
• Fluid extract (1:1)- 30 to 90 drops a day
• Tincture (1:2)- 15 to 30 drops, 4 times per day

1 teaspoon of turmeric (around 4g) with black pepper and/or fats (olive or coconut oil) for absorption can be taken for therapeutic purposes. Check this link for a list of good brands of turmeric powder and supplements.

However, we would still suggest good quality turmeric powder or even raw turmeric over curcumin supplements for leucorrhoea.

In case of irritation and itching, topical turmeric/curcumin cream should help. For more details on dosage check out this resource.

Precaution

Turmeric inthe diet is safe but use the supplements with caution. Slight gastric discomfort is possible initially.

Avoid turmeric supplements in pregnancy and lactation and prior to surgery. Even if you are suffering from leucorrhoea avoid taking turmeric supplements during menstrual cycles.

Individuals suffering from gallstone problems should avoid turmeric supplements. Possible drug interaction could be with drugs for lowering blood sugar, drugs to reduce stomach acid and blood thinning medications.

Consult a doctor before taking turmeric supplements.

Conclusion

Turmeric has some awesome medicinal properties like anti-Candida, anti-inflammatory and phytoestrogenic, etc which should help relieve leucorrhoea. Incorporating hygiene habits, changes in lifestyle and diet are also necessary.

However, in case of persistent episodes of leucorrhoea, consult a doctor to rule out chances of any infection or reproductive system problem. Turmeric can be taken as adjunctive therapy then.