Turmeric extract and curcumin for arthritis Original paper

Curcuma longa (turmeric) extract and curcumin (the main curcuminoid in turmeric) exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic (pain-relieving) properties. As such, supplementation with turmeric extract or curcumin may be useful for management of arthritis symptoms. This meta-analysis explored that possibility.

This meta-analysis of 25 randomized controlled trials examined the effect of supplementation with turmeric extract or curcumin on clinical outcomes, inflammation/immunological markers, oxidative stress markers, and adverse events in a total of 2,253 participants with rheumatoid arthritis (6 trials) or osteoarthritis (19 trials).

For rheumatoid arthritis, the clinical outcomes were disease severity measured using the Disease Activity Score in 28 Joints (DAS28) system, tender joint count, and swollen joint count, and the inflammatory/immunological biomarkers were erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and rheumatoid factor.

For osteoarthritis, the clinical outcomes were pain measured with a visual analogue scale, pain measured with the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis (WOMAC) index, physical function, and joint stiffness, the inflammatory markers were CRP and ESR, and the marker of oxidative stress was malondialdehyde (MDA).

Most trials were conducted in India (9 trials), Iran (6 trials), and Thailand (3 trials). The daily dose of turmeric extract and curcumin ranged from 120 to 1,500 mg, and the intervention duration ranged between 4 and 36 weeks. In most trials, the turmeric extract/curcumin was compared to a placebo or to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

For rheumatoid arthritis, supplementation with turmeric extract/curcumin reduced disease severity, ESR, CRP, and rheumatoid factor.

For osteoarthritis, supplementation with turmeric extract/curcumin reduced pain measured via VAS and pain measured via the WOMAC index, improved physical function and joint stiffness, and reduced ESR and MDA.

In subgroup analyses, the intervention had better efficacy than the placebo, but not NSAIDs. Adverse events were similar between the intervention and the placebo but were lower with the intervention than with NSAIDS.

Of the 25 trials, 19 had a high risk of bias or some methodological concerns.