Tag Archives: supplements for arthritis

tumeric and curcumin

Turmeric Probably Won’t Help Your Arthritis (But Curcumin Might)

Turmeric has moved to the top of the healthy food chain. The 4,000-year-old staple of Southeast Asian  cooking is showing up everywhere, including ballpark snacks and Starbucks lattes. It’s easy to understand why; turmeric’s most active component, curcumin, is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that may help treat or prevent diseases ranging from arthritis to ulcerative colitis and cancer. But does adding turmeric to your latte or plate of chicken masala do these things?

Not likely, says Randy Horowitz, MD, medical director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine in Tucson.

“Turmeric only contains about 2 to 6 percent curcumin, so you’re not getting much [of the anti-inflammatory effect],” he says.

Ground turmeric has other strikes against it. Ezra Bejar, PhD, a San Diego-based expert in botanical research, warns that with turmeric’s increasing popularity, unscrupulous manufacturers are adding synthetic turmeric to the real thing. Some additives, like vibrantly yellow lead chromate, are toxic. In the last few years, 13 brands of turmeric have been recalled for lead contamination.

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arthritis supplements for sleep

Three Supplements for Better Sleep

It’s 2 a.m. and you’re wide awake. Your arthritis symptoms are under control. You’ve given up caffeine, naps and late-night TV, and you practice yoga and deep breathing, but these changes haven’t worked for you. Before resorting to prescription sleeping pills, consider trying one of the following natural remedies. But remember: Talk to your doctor before starting any supplement.

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safe arthritis supplements

Pick a Safer Supplement for Arthritis

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees supplements, so any vitamins and herbs you buy for arthritis symptoms, whether at the store, online or even at your doctor’s office must be safe – right? Not necessarily. Although every over-the-counter (OTC) drug must have been proven safe and effective before it’s released, FDA regulations only require that supplements must not be “adulterated” or “misbranded,” and asking manufacturers and distributors to follow safety requirements of the FDA and the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994.

If the FDA uncovers violations, it issues a warning or may recall the product. “But the process can take months and even years. In the meantime, potentially harmful products continue to be sold,” says Pieter Cohen, MD, an internist at Cambridge Health Alliance, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston and a leading expert on supplement safety. (FDA.gov reveals just a handful of recalls in the past year, for issues including salmonella contamination and undeclared ingredients.)

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