Efficacy of Turmeric Extracts and Curcumin for Alleviating the Symptoms of Joint Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

Daily JW, Yang M, Park S · Journal of Medicinal Food

About 1000 mg/day of curcumin reduced arthritis pain and improved function versus placebo, with effects comparable to NSAIDs in head-to-head trials; the authors nonetheless judged the trial base too small and short to be definitive.

Population

8 randomized trials of turmeric/curcumin in arthritis (mostly knee OA)

Intervention

Turmeric extracts or curcumin, typically ~1000 mg/day for 8-12 weeks

Comparator

Placebo or active comparator (NSAIDs)

Limitations

Few, small, short trials with heterogeneous formulations; authors explicitly call the evidence insufficient for firm conclusions.