If ever there were an herb that puts existential fear into the bottom line of pharmaceutical companies, it’s turmeric. Turmeric is one the most thoroughly researched plants in existence today. Its medicinal properties and components (primarily curcumin) have been the subject of over 12,000 peer-reviewed and published biomedical studies. In fact, our five-year-long research project on this sacred plant has revealed over 800 potential preventive and therapeutic applications, as well as 250 distinct beneficial physiological effects. Given the sheer density of research performed on this remarkable spice, it’s no wonder that a growing number of studies have concluded that it compares favorably to a variety of conventional medications. Lipitor/Atorvastatin (cholesterol medication) A 2008 study published in the journal Drugs in R & D found that a standardized preparation of curcuminoids from turmeric compared favorably to the drug atorvastatin (trade name Lipitor) on endothelial dysfunction, the underlying pathology of the blood vessels that drives atherosclerosis, in association …