Curcumin as a treatment for autoimmune diseases Original paper

This meta-analysis found that curcumin had beneficial effects on clinical outcomes in participants with psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, or oral lichen planus. However, the findings were largely based on trials of poor methodological quality.

This Study Summary was published on November 7, 2022.

Background

Because of the anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating, and antioxidant properties of curcumin (the main bioactive substance in turmeric), supplementation with curcumin may have beneficial effects in people with autoimmune diseases. This meta-analysis explored that possibility.

The study

This meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials examined the effect of supplementation with curcumin on clinical outcomes, biochemical parameters, and adverse effects in participants with psoriasis (2 trials), ulcerative colitis (UC; 9 trials), rheumatoid arthritis (RA; 5 trials), or oral lichen planus (OLP; 2 trials).

Most trials were conducted in India or Iran. The majority of the trials used curcumin, while some used nanocurcumin, curcuminoids, turmeric, or curcumin paired with lipids. In 2 trials exploring UC, curcumin/turmeric were administered as an enema, and in 1 trial exploring OLP, curcumin was applied topically as a paste. The daily dose of curcumin supplementation ranged from 100 to 3,000 milligrams. The intervention duration ranged between 4 and 24 weeks. In most trials, the comparator was a placebo.

The results

The authors reported the following findings:

  • Psoriasis: Compared to the control, curcumin decreased psoriasis severity. No difference in adverse events was observed between curcumin and the control.
  • UC: Compared to the control, curcumin decreased UC severity, as measured by the clinical activity index, clinical remission rate, and endoscopic remission rate. Curcumin also decreased the levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), both of which are biomarkers of inflammation. No difference in adverse events was observed between curcumin and the control.
  • RA: Compared to the control, curcumin decreased RA severity and the levels of ESR and CRP. No difference in adverse events was observed between curcumin and the control.
  • OLP: Curcumin supplementation had no effect on OLP severity.

Of the 18 trials, 8 had a high risk of bias, 3 had some methodological concerns, and 7 had a low risk of bias.

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This Study Summary was published on November 7, 2022.