Turmeric Helps With Knee Arthritis

Author: Mark Velov Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

Research shows that the spice relieves chronic knee pain and improves its functioning

The bright yellow spice turmeric, which belongs to the Ginger family and is a popular ingredient in curry, relieves pain in osteoarthritis of the knee better than placebo treatment. This is shown by the results of a recent study with a relatively small scope, published in the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine .

Researchers from the University of Tasmania, Australia, randomly divided into two groups 70 patients over the age of 40 with osteoarthritis of the knee. Half of the patients received two capsules with a total of 1000 mg of turmeric each day for 12 weeks, and the other half received placebo treatment. Patients taking turmeric reported that knee pain decreased significantly at the end of the study. They show better functioning of the knee joint and less pain during exercise.

Four patients stopped completely or reduced their other pain medications. None of the patients taking turmeric reported side effects . However, turmeric is not effective in relieving other effects of osteoarthritis, such as fluid retention and impaired cartilage in the knee joint.

The study was funded by an Indian nutritional supplement company that sells turmeric supplement for knee pain. Although the company is not involved in organizing and conducting it, sponsoring research creates a potential risk of conflict of interest, which may raise doubts about the reliability of the results . The small number of participants in the study and the 12-week period it covers are not sufficient to establish the potential long-term effects of treatment.

Earlier research also concluded that curcumin helps treat osteoarthritis . The summary results of 8 similar studies showed in 2016 that curcumin was just as effective in treating knee pain as pain medications such as ibuprofen. However, the need for further research remains in order to draw more serious conclusions about the effectiveness of turmeric in the treatment of knee pain.

Osteoarthritis of the knee affects approximately 250 million people worldwide, but there are still too few drugs to treat it effectively. Therapy with them can have side effects such as digestive problems, bloating and heartburn .

Turmeric has long been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine as a safe source of many health benefits. Its active ingredient curcumin has well-proven anti-inflammatory properties . Turmeric has a strong antioxidant effect and is used to prevent cancer and heart disease, as well as to improve mental health.

Turmeric Helps With Knee Arthritis

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