Our skeletal system plays the two important roles of allowing the human body to maintain balance during movement, and protecting our vital organs like the brain. It is important for survival that our body has the ability to carry itself and perform physical tasks like walking, running or even chewing our food.

But like any well-oiled machine, wear and tear can create complications in our bodies, including our bones and joints. That is why it is really important to maintain our bone and joint health, especially during our advanced ages when joint-related diseases like arthritis can appear. One way of doing this is by taking curcumin for mild arthritis and other joint issues.

Let’s get to know the ailment and the role of curcumin in keeping it at bay.

Mild arthritis and its symptoms

The condition known as arthritis is a household term that most of us are familiar with. It is the swelling and tenderness of one or more joints (1). Typically we feel this through pain and/or stiffness in our joints. It can be caused by chronic overuse of certain joints, but most of the time it is caused by old age. Common symptoms are:

• Pain
• Stiffness
• Swelling
• Redness
• Decreased range of motion

What is osteoarthritis

There are different forms of arthritis but the most common form is osteoarthritis, affecting millions of people around the world. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time (2). Although this form of arthritis can affect any joint, the most commonly affected ones are:

• Hands
• Knees
• Hips
• Spine

The damage to the cartilage causes the typical symptoms of arthritis (i.e. pain, stiffness, tenderness, loss of movement, bone spurs, and swelling). The symptoms do gradually develop over time but become much worse at older ages.

Curcumin for mild arthritis

A common ingredient for various cuisines known around the world is turmeric. Of yellow hue and part of the ginger family, turmeric is a spice that comes from the root of the longa plant. Turmeric’s nutrient benefits lie in its active major ingredient, curcumin (3).

There are several studies on the benefits brought by curcumin for mild arthritis. A clinical trial showed that curcumin has great benefits to our bone health. A clinical study on bone mass density indicators showed that the ingredient plays a great role in improving bone health density specifically for the lumbar, hip and neck bone areas (3).

Curcumin can also help chronic conditions where inflammation starts to affect tissues in your body. In one study of patients with ulcerative colitis, those who took 2 grams of curcumin a day along with prescription medication were more likely to stay in remission than those who took the medicine alone (4).

If you are concerned about your joint health and want to support it better, consider Vitable Australia’s Curumin vitamins to supplement your daily diet. Vitable Australia produces only the most natural supplement from the extract of turmeric roots using gentle solvents. The extraction is made to ensure that the supplement resembles the composition of a natural turmeric root.

We offer a vitamin subscription box where you can create vitamin packs tailor-made for you to support bone and joint health. For your convenience, we also have a vitamin delivery service!

Find out more about other supplements that can support joint health:

Vitamin C | Fish oil | Cranberry | Curcumin

*Always read the label. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional. Vitamin and/or mineral supplements should not replace a balanced diet.

References:

1. Mayo Clinic. Arthritis. Published on https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350772. Accessed Dec 8, 2021.
2. Mayo Clinic. Osteoarthritis. Published on https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoarthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351925. Accessed Dec 8, 2021.
3. Masoud Hatefi, Mohammad Reza Hafezi Ahmadi, Asghar Rahmani, Masoud Moghadas Dastjerdi, Khairollah Asadollahi. Effects of Curcumin on Bone Loss and Biochemical Markers of Bone Turnover in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury. National Library of Medicine. Published June 11, 2018 on https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29567290/. Accessed Dec 8, 2021.
4. Cleveland Clinic. 7 Health Benefits of Turmeric. Published Nov 10, 2021 on https://health.clevelandclinic.org/turmeric-health-benefits/. Accessed Dec 8, 2021.