Currently, arthritis has become the most familiar cause of disability in the U.S. Roughly 50 million adults and 300,000 juniors handle some arthritis.

In the U.S., turmeric is nicely understood as a spice that treats inflammation in joints and many forms of arthritis. It’s one of the primary ingredients of curry powder. Undoubtedly, it possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. In India and other regions of Asia, turmeric ministers to multiple health infections.

What Is Arthritis?

ARTHRITIS & ITS KINDS

Usually, arthritis impacts your joints, causing pain and inflammation, making it difficult to move.

Arthritis is found in the following parts of the body:

• Feet
• Hands
• Hips
• Knees
• Lower back

Over 100 different kinds of arthritis are there. Generally, the most familiar types of arthritis are as follows:

1. Osteoarthritis: In this type of arthritis, joint cartilage cracks down from anxiety.
2. Ankylosing spondylitis, or arthritis of the backbone
3. Juvenile arthritis (JA) happens when a child aged 16 or above suffers from a tissue attack of the joint by the immune system.
4. Gout is a disorder that yields hardened uric acid crystals in the joints.
5. Psoriatic arthritis is a joint inflammation that forms in individuals with psoriasis.
6. Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that provokes the immune system to attack the synovial membranes of joints.

Why should you take Turmeric to alleviate Arthritis?

Curcumin, an essence in turmeric, may help to decrease inflammation. Several introspections tell that it reduces signs of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, i.e., pain and inflammation.

It’s a naturally-principal compound in the spice turmeric that holds anti-inflammatory impacts. It has also been endorsed for heart health, arthritis, and other ailments. However, well-designed analyses of its health benefits are few.

Taking turmeric extracts or other herbal medicines can lessen pain and improve function in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. Turmeric and ibuprofen may work simultaneously to lower pain. But it doesn’t seem to work with diclofenac.

A survey found that adults who most frequently used turmeric for arthritis in amounts up to 1.5 grams daily for nine months observed optimistic relief from arthritis and joint inflammation.

Here’s what this study uncovered:

1. Both treatments reduced arthritis symptoms, and 90 percent of those taking curcumin and 95 percent of those taking diclofenac reported at least 50 percent progress. People have reported observing slight side effects with curcumin. For instance, none of the studies made issues taking curcumin.
2. Generally, those taking curcumin lost nearly 2 percent of their body weight in only four weeks — that is 3.5 pounds for a 175-pounds person.
3. Still, people need to learn how satisfactorily curcumin would function or if it would be safe for the classes of people excluded from this study. For example, this study enlisted adults aged between 38 and 65 and excluded those with notable kidney or stomach disorders.

Over-the-counter dietary supplements (“nutriceuticals”) have not experimented with the way prescription drugs are. So, data concerning purity, potency, and possible interaction with other medications or diseases are commonly confined to treatments like curcumin. It’s worth mentioning that news of lead contamination in turmeric has been recently broadcasted.

Weight loss as a side effect of consuming curcumin might be a trouble for that already skinny.

BOTTOM LINE

Turmeric is an unproven treatment, though it has years of traditional use and some compelling introductory research. There is no ideal dosage. So ask your healthcare provider for a recommendation.

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References

Paultre K, Cade W, Hernandez D, Reynolds J, Greif D, Best TM. Therapeutic effects of turmeric or curcumin extract on pain and function for individuals with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2021 Jan 13;7(1):e000935. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000935. PMID: 33500785; PMCID: PMC7812094.

Yang M, Akbar U, Mohan C. Curcumin in Autoimmune and Rheumatic Diseases. Nutrients. 2019; 11(5):1004. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051004

Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS. Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health. Foods. 2017 Oct 22;6(10):92. doi: 10.3390/foods6100092. PMID: 29065496; PMCID: PMC5664031.

Dai Q, Zhou D, Xu L, Song X. Curcumin alleviates rheumatoid arthritis-induced inflammation and synovial hyperplasia by targeting mTOR pathway in rats. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2018 Dec 3;12:4095-4105. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S175763. PMID: 30584274; PMCID: PMC6284537.

Arthritis Foundation. Turmeric. Available at: www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/treatments/natural/supplements-herbs/guide/turmeric.php. Accessed January 7, 2019.

Chin KY. The spice for joint inflammation: anti-inflammatory role of curcumin in treating osteoarthritis. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2016; 0:3029–3042.

Daily JW, Yang M, Park S. Efficacy of turmeric extracts and curcumin for alleviating the symptoms of joint arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Med Food. 2016;19(8):717–729

Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS. Curcumin: A review of its effects on human health. Foods. 2017; 6(10):92.

NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Turmeric. Available at:
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/turmeric/ataglance.htm. Accessed January 7, 2019.

https://www.cmaj.ca/content/190/43/E1270

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.891822/