Tumeric for arthritis

[Guest guest]

Turmeric has been used for centuries to treat inflammation and is widely promoted by the dietary supplement industry as a natural treatment for arthritis. Sales have increased since the Food and Drug Administration issued health warnings last year for the popular arthritis drug Celebrex. But few rigorous studies have been conducted on the spice or on the curcuminoid compounds at the core of turmeric's reputed efficacy.

Janet L. Funk of the University of Arizona and her colleagues tested turmeric extracts in rats with artificially induced rheumatoid arthritis. They confirmed that the extract reduced joint swelling and tissue destruction, and they identified the inflammatory pathway that the compound blocks -- the same " NF-kappa B " pathway that pharmaceutical companies have recently begun to target with experimental arthritis drugs.

Doses used in the study translate to about 1.5 grams of curcuminoids per day for an adult. But Funk warned that many of the turmeric-based supplements she has examined do not contain the ingredients or concentrations shown on their labels, and major questions remain as to how well the compounds get absorbed in digestion. Her experiments involved injections.

So while not recommending the extracts for now, Funk says she is excited about their potential.

The study, in the November issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, was supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, with no industry funding.

-- Rick Weiss

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