How Turmeric works on Arthritis:

The active ingredient in turmeric is the chemical compound known as curcumin. Turmeric powder is composed of 0.3 to 5.4% curcumin. Current research on turmeric shows that curcumin inhibits the action of a protein called Nuclear Factor kappa-B ( NF-KB). NF-KB would attach to the genes of a cell and it would trigger the generation of lots and lots of inflammatory chemicals causing joint degradation and destruction. Some studies show that turmeric may prevent bone resorption and osteoporosis. Curcumin also works in the body to stabilize cell membranes and thereby prevent the release of inflammatory agents.

Side Effects and Precautions:

No bad side effects have been reported. No associated toxicity.

Forms, Dosage and Brandnames:

Adults: Recommended dosage is 400-600mg, three times a day

Pregnant Women: It is unknown if turmeric ingestion is safe during pregnancy.

Children: There is no proven or safe medical dose of turmeric in children

References about Turmeric and Arthritis:

Turmeric for Arthritis? By Christine Gorman http://time.blogs.com/daily_rx/2006/10/turmeric.html

"Efficacy and Mechanism of Action of Turmeric Supplements in the Treatment of Experimental Arthritis," Janet L. Funk, Jennifer B. Frye, Janice N. Oyarzo, Nesrin Kuscuoglu, Jonathan Wilson, Gwen McCaffrey, Gregory Stafford, Guanjie Chen, R. Clark Lantz, Shivanand D. Jolad, Aniko M. Sólyom, Pawel R. Kiela, Barbara N. Timmermann,

Arthritis & Rheumatism, November 2006; 54:11; pp. 3452-3464; (DOI: 10.1002/art.22180).

Page last updated: May 02, 2008