Researchers from the National Defense Medical Center in Taiwan have discovered that combining curcumin (the active compound in turmeric) with vitamin D can significantly slow down damage to joint cartilage in osteoarthritis. The study findings were published in the journal Nutrients.
The experiment was conducted on 30 rats with artificially induced knee osteoarthritis. Over the course of 12 weeks, the subjects were given vitamin D, curcumin, a combination of both, or received no supplements at all. Afterwards, the scientists assessed joint swelling, the rodents’ ability to bear weight on the affected limb, cartilage quality, and inflammation levels.
It turned out that both vitamin D and curcumin individually reduced swelling, alleviated pain symptoms, and slowed cartilage degradation in the joints. However, the greatest effect was achieved when they were used together. In this group, cartilage thickness was nearly identical to that of healthy rats, and the degree of damage was three times lower than in untreated animals.
Furthermore, the synergy of vitamin D and curcumin lowered the levels of pro-inflammatory molecules TNF-α, IL-1β, and MCP-1, while also boosting the body’s antioxidant system, protecting tissues from oxidative stress.
The researchers emphasize that these promising results have only been obtained in animal experiments, and clinical trials are needed to confirm the effect in humans.
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