Rheumatoid arthritis and curcumin:
Eight weeks of curcumin provided the same reductions in swelling and pain as the prescription drug diclofenac sodium, in a study of 45 people with rheumatoid arthritis. The participants were randomly assigned to receive curcumin (500 mg oral twice daily), diclofenac sodium (50 mg oral twice daily), or a combination of both. Using the Disease Activity Score (DAS), the researchers note that all groups showed improvements in various joint health measure, and there was a trend toward curcumin reducing the symptoms the most. (12)
Rheumatoid arthritis and Cat’s Claw:
Rosenbaum CC performed a review of studies entitled “Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory dietary supplements for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.” The author found that three studies supported cat’s claw (either alone or in combination with other supplements) for OA. Cat’s claw refers to certain types of woody vines that grow in the Amazon. Two of the most commonly used species are Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria guianensis (Uncaria guianensis has the greater antioxidant potency). Rosenbaum CC evaluated one study which involved 45 men with OA randomly receiving 100 mg daily (30 subjects) or placebo (15 subjects) for 4 weeks. For those taking cat’s claw, significant improvements were found compared to placebo for pain on activity, overall patient pain assessment, and overall physician pain assessment. No significant differences were found for pain at rest or at night or for knee circumference. Rosenbaum CC found that another study looked at 95 patients with OA which were randomly assigned to receive either glucosamine sulfate (1500 mg per day) or Reparagen (1800 mg per day), Reparagen capsules contain 300 mg Vincaria, a patented extract of Uncaria guianensis, (also called Cat’s Claw) with 1500 mg Lepidium meyenii, a vegetable from the Andes Mountains with IGF-I activation potential. The primary outcome was a 20% reduction in pain scores in most (90%) of both study groups determined by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC). WOMAC is the most widely used assessment in arthritis research which uses five different scores to rate pain and stiffness. According to the author’s review in this study, cat’s claw can be recommended for patients with OA. Larger clinical trials need to be done to confirm benefit in rheumatoid arthritis since there was only one trial with 40 patients showing less pain but no change in swelling or stiffness. (8)