Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: Oral administration of bio-enhanced curcumin, the active component of turmeric or haldi, offers a reliable and safe therapeutic approach for treating mild to moderate dry eye disease (DED), which occurs when tears aren’t able to provide adequate lubrication for the eyes.
This was revealed in a study conducted by All India Institute of Medical Sciences. The research, published in Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, indicates positive outcomes, showing improvements in tear film stability, lipid layer thickness, tear meniscus height and reduced bulbar redness.
Doctors explain that the condition involves both reduced tear production and compromised tear quality. Bio-enhanced curcumin improves the fundamental quality of the tear film, allowing tears to remain in the eyes longer, alleviating symptoms.
Researchers stated that curcumin had limited absorption in the body, but various methods existed to improve its uptake. Being an over-the-counter food supplement, it possesses strong anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce inflammation throughout the body. As dry eye is fundamentally an inflammatory condition, the study demonstrated that curcumin supplementation led to improvement in the symptoms.
However, questions persist regarding the duration of these benefits and whether continuous usage is necessary for maintaining the improvements. A follow-up study is currently in progress to address these queries.
Dr Tushar Agarwal, professor of ophthalmology and research team member, explained that for effective treatment, the precise dosage optimisation of curcumin, which made up only 5-10% of haldi by weight, was essential.
Raw haldi has poor absorption in the stomach, and consuming large quantities is not feasible. The use of bio-enhanced curcumin increases its absorption capability by seven to eight times, leading to better effectiveness. Clinical observations demonstrated improvement in dry eye disease symptoms with this enhanced formulation.
The research team included Dikshit Kapil, Aafreen Bari, Namrata Sharma, Thirumurthy Velpandian, Rajesh Sinha, Prafulla Maharana and Manpreet Kaur from AIIMS.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial at the hospital involved 40 mild to moderate patients, divided into two groups. The predominantly young adult participants suggest the disease affects younger populations, possibly due to modern lifestyle factors and screen exposure. After three months, the curcumin group showed significant improvements in ocular surface disease index scores, tear metrics and reduced eye redness.
DED manifests as persistent ocular surface inflammation with symptoms, including stinging, burning, light sensitivity, redness, mucus formation, contact lens difficulties, night driving issues, excessive tearing and vision problems.
Current treatments primarily involve lubricating drops and anti-inflammatory medications.
Mayank Rawat
