Turmeric and Curcumin for Arthritis
Research suggests turmeric and its components can potentially alleviate arthritis inflammation and pain. Most people know turmeric as a powdered spice used to give foods flavor and color-it gives many curries their deep golden color. Derived from a plant in the ginger family, turmeric (Curcuma longa) contains a natural chemical compound called curcumin. Scientists have found curcumin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Studies suggest curcumin may provide relief for some people with osteoarthritis,rheumatoid arthritis, and other inflammatory arthritic conditions.
Curcumin Supplements
Analysts estimate curcumin accounts for only about 3 to 5% of turmeric. Arthritis pain relief may require ingesting more curcumin than a person eats in a typical diet, so advocates often recommend a dietary supplement.
Curcumin supplements typically contain curcumin (diferuloylmethane) as well as other chemicals naturally found in turmeric, including demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Scientists believe that each of these compounds, collectively called curcuminoids, has anti-inflammatory effects.
Advocates suggest a daily curcumin supplement of 200 to 1000mg that contains 95% curcuminoids. Pepper, or one of pepper's primary chemical components, piperine, is included in some curcumin supplements. Many experts believe pepper aids the absorption of curcumin.
How turmeric can help in rheumatoid arthritis
Turmeric is emerging as a novel anti-arthritic non toxic herb to treat rheumatoid arthritis .The disorder of rheumatoid arthritis in rats is known as collagen induced arthritis which is similar in most contexts to the human rheumatoid arthritis.
1. Turmeric exerts anti inflammatory effects on RA
The major effect of the attack of immune system on the body is inflammation. When the immune system starts attacking a body part, it activates certain cytokines and the cells of the target tissue also secrete and enzyme called COX2.
The enzyme COX 2 helps in formation of prostaglandin E2 which attract the inflammatory cytokines and the immune system thus gets direction of the target tissue. These target tissues in case of RA are usually the joints.
It is thus very important to stop the formation of COX, Prostaglandin E2 and inflammatory cytokines to prevent the attack on the target tissues and consequent inflammation.
Recent research has evidenced that curcumin from turmeric, if fed continuously in considerable amounts, significantly decreases the levels of COX enzyme and consequently, prostaglandin E2. This helps in the inhibition of the target tissue to attract the inflammatory cytokines.
Another research study has found that curcumin - an active ingredient in turmeric can benefit those with rheumatoid arthritis since it has anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory properties.
A study was done to determine the effectiveness and safety of using curcumin independently and combined with Voltaren - a Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID).
The study found that bioavailable forms of curcumin were high effective in easing rheumatoid arthritis symptoms such as swollen and tender joints. Those who took only turmeric demonstrated greater improvement in their symptoms
What it means: curcumin from turmeric helps in reduction of the inflammation in the joints and other tissues by preventing the release of inflammatory enzymes and cytokines in the body and by preventing their attack on the target tissue .
2. Turmeric helps in reduction in degeneration of arthritic tissues and joints
Generally, when the tissues get attacked by the immune system in the body, they get inflamed and start degenerating. This process occurs because inflammation induces cell death which slowly degenerates the whole tissue in the target area.
In an experiment done on collagen induced arthritis in rats, it was found that regular dosage of this herb in medicinal amounts reduces the degeneration of the tissues which are a target to the immune system in this disease.
This helps in pain management and prevention of the other accessory disorders that accompany or follow long term arthritis. The experiment was majorly done with turmeric extracts which seemed to show efficient and quick results in treating the disorder.
What it means: regular consumption of turmeric helps in reducing or arresting the process of degeneration in the arthritic bones, joints and tissues. This prevents the occurrence of other diseases which usually prevail after suffering from arthritis for a long time .
3. Turmeric induces programmed cell death in the inflamed and damaged tissue to protect the nearby cells
In rheumatoid arthritis, when the cells in a tissue are damaged and inflamed, they still survive with that damage and keep on dividing. In case the damage becomes irreparable, they under normal conditions undergo cell death but in case of RA, most don't.
This damage has the risk of being passed down to the next generation of cells via cell division and increase the amount of damaged tissue. Overall, this exacerbates the pain and discomfort in this disease.
The process of cell death in case of irreparable damage is known apoptosis. This occurs normally in cells and is regulated by pro apoptotic and anti apoptotic factors.
Pro apoptotic factors such as different types of caspases get activated when an irreparable damage is detected. On the contrary, anti apoptotic factors are constitutively active in the cell to prevent unnecessary apoptosis or unnecessary activation of pro apoptotic factors.
In case of diseases like cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, when the tissue gets damages, in majority of the cases, the apoptosis is dysregulated. The pro apoptotic factors are down regulated where as the anti apoptotic factors are up regulated.
In rheumatoid arthritis, the damage in the cells usually makes them acquire the genes that produce the pro inflammatory molecules like COX. The damage, if passed down in new cells, increases the amounts of this inflammatory molecule release and attracts the immune system even more.
This damage is very important to control by letting the bad cells die, but if the apoptotic machinery is non functional or dysregulated, it makes the cells unable to die even in the case of extensive damage which is in fact passed down to the next generation of the cells by cell division.
Curcumin from turmeric has been found to regulate this dysregulated process of apoptosis in the inflamed cells in rheumatoid arthritis.
A research has shown that it increases the amount of the pro apoptotic factors (caspase 9 and caspase 3) in damaged cells and decreases the amount of anti apoptotic factors like Bcl 2 in the same.
This leads to the programmed cell death of the damaged cell as it should happen ideally. Overall, the whole process prevents the damage to spread in the newly formed tissue and in the nearby cells.
4. Curcumin exerts protective effects on the joints
For people with the family history of rheumatoid arthritis, the occurrence of this disease is more likely. Such people are more at risk of getting their immune systems turned against their own tissues at any point of life and thus, should be prepared enough.
Since it can't be detected that the person is going to have rheumatoid arthritis at some point of time in the life, it is better to take harmless precautionary measures anyway especially for those having this disease in the family.
Research has shown that regular consumption of turmeric in regulated amounts protects the tissues from releasing inflammatory molecules and attracting their immune system to attack on. Curcumin from turmeric also reduces the amounts of cytokines in the blood specifically targeted to the joints.
In other words, curcumin prevents the turning of immune system against one's own body tissues by exerting protective effects on both the tissue and the immune system.
In this research it was also found that a number of curcuminoids found in turmeric extracts, especially turmeric oils are responsible for this protective effect on the joints. Curcuminoids are the different derivatives of curcumin, out of which three have been identified as most effective.
In one study, 18 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were divided into groups. One group was given 1200mg / day curcumin and the other 300mg/day of phenylbutazone. At the end of the tests, both groups showed improvement in symptoms of morning stiffness, joint swelling and walking time improved.
What it means: on regular consumption, curcuminoids from turmeric exert protective effects on joints and immune system by preventing the inflammation and the onset of rheumatoid arthritis beforehand .
5. Curcumin exerts anti oxidant effects on the target tissue and joints in RA
Oxidation, just like inflammation is a process that leads to extensive damage in the cells of the joints in rheumatoid arthritis. Oxidation is caused when the damage in the joints due to immune attack starts secreting oxidative molecules, also known as reactive oxygen species.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as NOS, peroxide and others react with the cellular components and kill them so that the cell dies. This leads to increased degeneration of the tissue which exacerbates the effects of rheumatoid arthritis.
In many research studies, it has been found that curcumin inhibits the secretion of several of the reactive oxygen species in the tissue under immune attack in rheumatoid arthritis. This effect is known as anti oxidant effect which curcumin is known for.
Preventing the secretion or formation of various oxidants helps in reducing the damage to the joints and also prevents the premature and unnecessary death of the target cells. Ultimately, there is reduced degeneration, pain, inflammation and other similar symptoms on consumption of this herb.
What it means: curcumin from turmeric exerts anti oxidant effects and helps prevent the oxidation in the cells of the joints so that there is reduced degeneration in the target tissue accompanied by ameliorated symptoms and better pain management .