Turmeric linked to arthritis

A new alternative treatment for arthritis could help alleviate inflammatory symptoms of the condition, a new report suggests.

Turmeric, a botanical supplement, was tested on rats with joint inflammation by researchers from the University of Arizona.

They found that the condition had a “significant impact”, helping lower symptoms of both the condition’s acute and chronic forms.

“Just as the willow bark provided relief for arthritis patients before the advent of aspirin, it would appear that the underground stem (rhizome) of a tropical plant [turmeric] may also hold promise for the treatment of joint inflammation and destruction,” the study’s authors write.

Forty per cent of arthritis sufferers use some form of alternative medicine, the report claims.

It warns that despite the widespread use of alternative treatments, their unregulated nature means many sufferers could be missing out on the opportunity to alleviate suffering they offer.

“Before turmeric supplements can be recommended for medicinal use, clinical trials are clearly needed to verify/determine whether treatment with adequate doses of well-characterised turmeric extracts can indeed prevent/suppress disease flares in RA [rheumatoid arthritis] patients,” the study’s authors conclude.