Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Daily supplementation with 1000 mg of a special curcumin formulation significantly improved bone density in the participating osteopenic men.
Osteopenia is a chronic bone condition characterized by a loss of bone density that, while not as severe as osteoporosis, can lead to increased bone fragility and fractures if left untreated. In the United States, osteopenia is predicted to increase from 43.4 million in 2010 to 50 million in 2020 and jump to 57.2 million by year 2010 1. Women in the United States have a 6.1% higher lifetime risk of hip fractures compared to women in the United Kingdom.
Curcumin, with its low toxicity and broad spectrum of healing properties, was chosen by researchers to investigate its potential as a treatment for bone health. The following 2017 study 2 involved 57 healthy osteopenic males with low bone density (DXA t-scores between -1 and -2.5) 3 who volunteered to follow either a standard management (SM) to control bone density (control group of 28) or SM with 1000 mg of daily oral curcumin supplementation (supplement group of 29).
The evaluated curcumin supplement was an oral formulation based on turmeric phytosome (Meriva®, Indena SpA, Milan, Italy.) SM included “a complete nutritional evaluation, with adequate supply of vitamins D, C and calcium, regular exercise program of 20 minutes 4 times weekly, including light weight lifting and walking or running according to patients preferences. All participants had a body mass index of <25.
Before the study began and at 4, 12, and 24 weeks, bone densities were taken of the heel, small finger and upper jaw. While the researchers used a “quantitative ultrasound measurement” on the heel, with a decreased reading indicating improved bone density, the small finger and upper jaw density were measured using a high-resolution ultrasound scanner 4.
Statistical significance was not reached in either group by week 4 (p > 0.05); however, statistical significance was reached in the curcumin group by 12 weeks and again at 24 weeks:
| Start | 12 weeks | p - value | 24 weeks | p - value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heel bone density Control (%) | 100 | 5.4% decrease | > 0.05 | 6% decrease | > 0.05 |
| Heel bone density Curcumin (%) | 100 | 18.4% decrease | < 0.05 | 21% decrease | < 0.05 |
| Small finger bone density Control (GSM) | 30.3 | 1.3% increase | > 0.05 | 1.3% increase | > 0.05 |
| Small finger bone density Curcumin (GSM) | 31.2 | 6.9% increase | < 0.05 | 7.1% increase | < 0.05 |
| Upper jaw bone density Control (GSM) | 32.7 | 0.3% increase | > 0.05 | 0.3% increase | > 0.05 |
| Upper jaw bone density Curcumin (GSM) | 33 | 3.8% increase | < 0.05 | 4.8% increase | < 0.05 |
When suggesting a possible mechanism for curcumin’s healthful benefits in this study, the researchers pointed to curcumin’s strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties 5-7 as well as lab studies that demonstrate curcumin’s ability to improve the mechanical properties of bone 8,9, and to increase its potential as a treatment for bone disorders.
For the researchers, “This preliminary study offers a new indication for the use of curcumin in combination with an appropriate lifestyle in the prevention and management of osteopenia in otherwise healthy subjects.”
Source: Riva, A., S. Togni, L. Giacomelli, F. Franceschi, R. Eggenhoffner, B. Feragalli, G. Belcaro, M. Cacchio, H. Shu, and M. Dugall. “Effects of a curcumin-based supplementation in asymptomatic subjects with low bone density: a preliminary 24-week supplement study.” European review for medical and pharmacological sciences 21 (2017): 1684-1689.
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Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
- Wright NC, Looker AC, Saag KG, et al. The recent prevalence of osteoporosis and low bone mass in the United States based on bone mineral density at the femoral neck or lumbar spine. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 2014;29(11):2520-2526.
- Riva A, Togni S, Giacomelli L, et al. Effects of a curcumin-based supplementation in asymptomatic subjects with low bone density: a preliminary 24-week supplement study. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. 2017;21:1684-1689.
- Karaguzel G, Holick MF. Diagnosis and treatment of osteopenia. Reviews in endocrine and metabolic disorders. 2010;11(4):237-251.
- Luzzi R, Belcaro G, Cornelli U, et al. Osteoporosis of the jaw. Product evaluation: mf Odontovis Calcium®. Panminerva medica. 2011;53(3 Suppl 1):83-87.
- El-Desoky G, Abdel-Ghaffar A, Al-Othman Z, et al. Curcumin protects against tartrazine-mediated oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity in male rats. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. 2017;21:635-645.
- Cosentino V, Fratter A, Cosentino M. Anti-inflammatory effects exerted by Killox®, an innovative formulation of food supplement with curcumin, in urology. European review for medical and pharmacological sciences. 2016;20(7):1390-1398.
- Di Pierro F, Bressan A, Ranaldi D, Rapacioli G, Giacomelli L, Bertuccioli A. Potential role of bioavailable curcumin in weight loss and omental adipose tissue decrease: Preliminary data of a randomized, controlled trial in overweight people with metabolic syndrome. Preliminary study. Eur. Rev. Med. Pharmacol. Sci. 2015;19:4195-4202.
- Rohanizadeh R, Deng Y, Verron E. Therapeutic actions of curcumin in bone disorders. BoneKEy reports. 2016;5:793-793.
- Peddada KV, Peddada KV, Shukla SK, Mishra A, Verma V. Role of curcumin in common musculoskeletal disorders: a review of current laboratory, translational, and clinical data. Orthopaedic surgery. 2015;7(3):222-231.
