Dietary supplements ‘can aid spinal injury recovery’

Dietary supplements could offer potentially significant benefits to spinal injury patients attempting to preserve their mobility.

Scientists from the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) conducted a trial in which rats with degenerative spinal conditions were fed a diet containing omega-3 and curcumin, a compound found in the Indian curry spice turmeric.

Both of these substances have been shown to reduce inflammation and aid the process of cell repair, attributes which manifested themselves in the study by helping to offset the impact of the spinal injury on walking ability.

Dr Langston Holly, associate professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said: "While surgery can relieve the pressure and prevent further injury, it can't repair damage to the cells and nerve fibres. We wanted to explore whether dietary supplementation could help the spinal cord heal itself."

Last month, a new medical trial was launched in Leicester to investigate the potential benefits curcumin can provide in improving drug response among advanced bowel cancer patients.