Curcumin supplements shorten medication usage in arthritis: results of data analysis

Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative joint disease that is notoriously difficult to treat.

Medications for pain can also help with inflammation, braces are an option and joint surgery a final resort.

Some foods, however, are believed to help alleviate symptoms, one of which is curcumin.

Curcumin is a naturally occurring compound found in the spice turmeric and gives its vibrant yellow colour. Used for centuries in Asia and Africa, curcumin is increasingly thought to have health benefits in Western countries too.

Plenty of studies have suggested that curcumin may help relieve some arthritis symptoms, and now a large meta-analysis of the data adds weight to the findings.

Publishing their findings in Phytotherapy Research, the researchers involved found that curcumin decreased scores of pain stiffness and increased scores of function and mobility. They conclude that “the results strongly support curcuminoid supplementation in relieving pain, improving joint mobility and stiffness, and shortening medication usage of osteoarthritis patients.”

Interested in how food and drink can impact on arthritis symptoms? Click here for more. 

PS Did you know that Arthritis Digest Magazine is labelled the best UK Arthritis blog from thousands of blogs on the web ranked by traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness?