New Delhi (ISJ): Turmeric, the common ingredient in Indian cuisines, known scientifically as Curcuma longa has been found to be more effective for reducing knee pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
A study by a team of scientists, including an Indian researcher, in Australian University of Tasmania’s Menzies Institute of Medical Sciences, however, did not change the structural aspects of knee osteoarthritis, such as swelling or cartilage composition. These findings from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial were published recently in the journal, Annals of Internal Medicine.
“Common treatments, such as paracetamol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have only mild to moderate effects and can have adverse side effects. Due to this an urgent need exists for safer and more effective drugs to treat osteoarthritis,” said Dr Benny Eathakkattu Antony, the principal investigator of the trial.
Dr Antony said, despite large number of people around the world who are diagnosed, there are no approved disease-modifying drugs currently available to treat osteoarthritis.
“The study randomly assigned 70 participants with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis and ultrasound evidence of swelling inside the knee joint to receive either two capsules per day of turmeric or a matched placebo for 12 weeks to determine whether turmeric reduced knee symptoms and joint swelling. Changes were assessed by standardized questionnaire and MRI, respectively, over 12 weeks,” said the study.
The researchers also looked for changes in cartilage composition, pain medication usage, quality of life, physical performance measures, and adverse events. After 12 weeks, they found that patients taking the turmeric supplements reported less pain than those in the placebo group with no adverse events.
The authors however admitted, multicenter trials with larger sample sizes are needed to assess the clinical significance of these findings.
Source: Menzies Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Tasmania (Australia)
Image: Representative
Link to Research Paper: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-0990
