In a randomized test investigating the known anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties of curcumin, forty-five patients with rheumatoid arthritis were divided into three groups and given curcumin, diclofenac sodium, or a combination of the two. The reduction in Disease Activity Score (DAS) show all three groups having statistically significant improvement, and interestingly the curcumin group showed the highest percentage of overall improvement. Their improvement was significantly higher than the diclofenac group, and more importantly, curcumin treatment was found to be safe and had no adverse side effects. This study shows the superiority of curcumin treatment in patients who have active RA and could greatly help other arthritic conditions.
