Meriva®+Glucosamine more effective than glucosamine and chondroitin, suggests study

A new supplement which combines Meriva®, a special formulation of curcumin, a compound found in the spice turmeric, and glucosamine is more effective than glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate in helping reduce arthritis pain and improve function in people with knee osteoarthritis, according to a new study.

Curcumin has natural anti-inflammatory qualities, but it is not absorbed well in the body. The supplement Meriva® is a patented formulation of curcumin which is combined with soy lecithin to make it more absorbable than regular curcumin.

Dr Gianni Belcaro and a team of researchers from the department of biomedical sciences at Chieti-Pascara University, Italy, conducted a four-month observational real-life study, to compare the association of Meriva® and glucosamine with chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine in 124 patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Researchers found that patients treated with Meriva® and glucosamine had a significantly higher Karnofsky Index, a scale which classifies functionality, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) scores, which is used to evaluate pain, stiffness and functioning of the joints, compared to those in the chondroitin and glucosamine group.

For one test, the walking distance on a treadmill after one month was significantly higher in the participants in the Meriva® and glucosamine group and this advantage was sustained until the end of the study. The researchers also found that although the need for associated drugs and medical attention decreased in both groups, this reduction was more evident for patients treated with Meriva® and glucosamine.

The Meriva® formulation is subject to extensive patents and is not widely licensed for sale in the UK.

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