Epilepsy is a relatively common condition, affecting around 456,000 people in the UK. The condition is complex, long term and is controlled using a class of medication known as anti-epileptic drugs (AED). An interesting new study has found that a combination of curcumin (the active constituent of the spice turmeric) and piperine (extracted from black pepper, piperine can increase the bioavailability of curcumin by up to 2000%) holds potential as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of patients with epilepsy.  

In the study epileptic mice were orally administered curcumin (2g/kg of body weight) along with piperine (20mg/kg of body weight). This treatment was found to decrease brain concentrations of MDA, catalase, (both of which are raised during seizures and is associated with oxidative stress) and GST (high levels are associated with resistance to AED treatment). When curcumin was administered along with the antiepileptic drug, carbamazepine, similar results were found.

Click hereto view the study abstract.