Arthritis and Coeliac Disease: Can Turmeric Help?

[cristiana]

Hello all

A question from a Mod this time!

We have a lot of arthritis in our family, to date this has been diagnosed as osteoarthritis.   There may also be rheumatoid arthritis, but as far as I know no-one has been diagnosed with that so far.

Anyway, my question is, there are a lot of advertisements in the UK press about the benefits of supplementing with turmeric for joint health.   Has anyone with either form of arthritis found that it has helped them,  by taking either turmeric capsules, or adding it to their diet? 

 I feel I'd like to try it as I've developed a painful joint which the nurse thinks is early arthritis and is monitoring, but I don't want to waste a lot of money , particularly on pills (some of the supplements seem very expensive) for something that really doesn't make any difference.

Thanks!

Cristiana

 

[Scott Adams]

I think turmeric can definitely help because it lowers inflammation, and it also thins your blood. I was taking it for quite a while, but stopped because I also have to take aspirin, and the combination of turmeric and aspirin would mess up my stomach. 

Similar to aspirin, turmeric should be taken with food, as it can cause stomach irritation. There are versions of it in supplements with black pepper, which I would avoid--just stick to pure turmeric. Also, it can be contaminated with wheat, and I once bought a brand that tested high with gluten using my Nima Sensor. If you are looking to save a bit of money, consider what I did and look for it in pure form for cooking, but make sure it is labelled gluten-free. Here is the one I used:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HYBN4DJ/ 

[cristiana]

Thanks, Scott.  Interestingly I've seen another post on another forum stating Vitamin C helped someone.  I've tried some /c supplements and whether it is just the sudden improvement in the weather here or Vitamin C it really works, but the inflammation has definitely improved.  I'll look into turmeric more, and thanks for the advice re: blood thinning and eating on a full stomach, something I didn't appreciate.

[Scott Adams]

Probably the best way to eat it would be to make curry regularly and just eat it that way.

[Eldene]

  On 8/27/2024 at 7:56 AM, cristiana said:

Hello all

A question from a Mod this time!

We have a lot of arthritis in our family, to date this has been diagnosed as osteoarthritis.   There may also be rheumatoid arthritis, but as far as I know no-one has been diagnosed with that so far.

Anyway, my question is, there are a lot of advertisements in the UK press about the benefits of supplementing with turmeric for joint health.   Has anyone with either form of arthritis found that it has helped them,  by taking either turmeric capsules, or adding it to their diet? 

 I feel I'd like to try it as I've developed a painful joint which the nurse thinks is early arthritis and is monitoring, but I don't want to waste a lot of money , particularly on pills (some of the supplements seem very expensive) for something that really doesn't make any difference.

Thanks!

Cristiana

 

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Hello Christianna, I can confirm that Turmeric should help, as it is anti-inflammatory. You can start with a teaspoon of Turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper. Take with a cup of warm water, with honey to taste (if not diabetic). Also excellent is a Casteroil compress on the joint(s) at night.

If allowed publishing by Scott and Co - google for Dr Barbara O'Neill, a Naturopath.

[cristiana]

Thanks so much, @Eldene, and that sounds an interesting drink to try.  Some people also say to try HRT but my family has quite a high incidence of breast cancer so I'd rather try to deal with this naturally.

[MINancy]

tumeric has to be supplemented with a little black pepper for your body to metabolize it. It just takes a little bit.

[Wheatwacked]

Try reducing your omega 6:3 ratios.  That is why fish oil works, but it is better to simply choose foods that are low in omega 6.  And increase potassium intake.

Similar to the DASH diet.  Increasing the potassium to salt ratio above 2:1 is heart healthy, but the DASH diet did it by restricting salt instead of increasing potassium.  Potassium deficiency can increase pain and inflammation in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Salmon is omega 6:3 ratio of 1:14 while sweet potato is 14:1 and white potato is 3:1

Tomato are around 14:1 but I find if I cook tomato sauce 3 hours like my granmother did it seems to modify it.

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It has been suggested that the high omega-6/omega-3 ratio in Western diets, 20:1 or even higher, as compared to an estimated 1:1 during the most time of human evolution, contributes to many chronic diseases, including CVD, cancer, and autoimmune disorders.

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Higher ratio of plasma omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids is associated with greater risk of all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality: a population-based cohort study in UK Biobank