Turmeric Benefits for Lupus

During my research on turmeric, I have come across several disorders which I never knew existed. Lupus is one of them. But this does not mean Lupus does not affect many people. According to stats, close to 1.5 mn people in America have Lupus. Worldwide this number is estimated to be 5 mn. This is a huge number.
So what is Lupus? Lupus is an autoimmune, inflammatory condition that occurs when the immune system attacks healthy organs and tissues. It could affect different parts of the body like skin, joints, heart, lungs, brain or blood cells.   Systemic lupus erythematosus, cutaneous lupus, neonatal lupus and drug-induced erythematosus are the 4 lupus types.  Lupus is difficult to diagnose for the symptoms are similar to many other ailments. Butterfly facial rashes on either side of the cheeks are a distinctive sign that a lot of lupus sufferers demonstrate.
Apart from this rash, lupus symptoms could be fatigue, fever, joint pain, shortness of breath, skin lesions, dry eyes, confusion, chest pain and more. No two patients may suffer from identical symptoms. Women are more likely to contract lupus. Exposure to the sun and some medications could trigger lupus. Treatment can only control and not cure lupus.

Why Turmeric can be beneficial in Lupus

The fundamental reason why turmeric can be of help in Lupus is that Lupus is an inflammatory disease and Curcumin which is the active ingredient in turmeric has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties.
The benefits of turmeric as an anti-inflammatory agent have been studied extensively. The spice has been used for centuries as a medicine and extensive research conducted in recent times have found that curcumin – a diferuloylmethane – is the anti-inflammatory agent in turmeric. It is able to regulate many transcription factors, adhesion molecules, protein kinases, enzymes and redox status that are all the causes of inflammatory conditions in the body. Curcumin therefore seems an attractive therapeutic supplement for use in the treatment of pro-inflammatory chronic diseases that include lupus, neurodegenerative, pulmonary, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases.
An immune system breakdown could lead to various infections and autoimmune diseases that include systemic lupus erythromatosis, IBD, myasthenia gravis, type1 diabetes, uveitis, myocarditis etc. Herbal supplements are being widely prescribed for use in treating these autoimmune diseases since they are safe, inexpensive and produce very few side effects. Curcumin is a polyphenol that is prescribed for healing wounds and for pain. The best benefits of curcumin are through dietary consumption. However, there are many dietary supplements available which maybe prescribed for autoimmune diseases.

What Scientific research shows?

At the heart of lupus are pain-causing inflammatory conditions that can become chronic and even life-threatening. Herbs which have anti-inflammatory properties like turmeric may help manage the pain of lupus. It may not act as fast as conventional pain medications but if used regularly, it could diminish some of the symptoms when used with a conventional treatment regime. Curcumin is already known to diminish arthritic pain which is also an inflammatory disease. It does so by inhibiting cytokines that are pro-inflammatory proteins.
Turmeric has helped in healing of inflammatory conditions in laboratory animals. A dosage of 1200mg curcumin daily has reduced joint swelling and morning stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis. It has also helped patients walk faster. This is also an autoimmune disease similar to lupus. There is no research at present to establish the same connection between lupus and curcumin. However, since the similarities between lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are high, it could be worth using curcumin after consulting a doctor. Follow the recommended dosage as suggested by the physician. Sometimes curcumin is combined with bromelain which also has anti-inflammatory properties and is used to treat lupus. Bromelain can improve the absorption levels of curcumin.
Another study was conducted on the uses of curcumin on lupus nephritis on mice. The mice were fed a diet that contained curcumin 1% from the age of 18 weeks till the completion of the study. The mice fed with curcumin had lower serum levels and proteinuria levels. Their renal inflammation reduced after treatment with curcumin. It has been suggested that the protective effects are due to the interaction of curcumin with regulatory T cells. This shows that curcumin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits that could help the therapeutic treatment of lupus nephritis.
Lupus nephritis is a serious condition that could prove fatal when there is a relapse. Preliminary studies have been conducted on the way curcumin could help with inflammatory conditions related to this disease. 24 patients with lupus nephritis were selected and divided into 2 groups – trial and placebo. Along with their meals, the trial group was given a single capsule containing 500mg turmeric for 3 months. The control group was given a placebo. A decrease in proteinuria, hematuria and blood pressure was found in the trial group. There were no adverse side effects reported from curcumin usage in the trial group. The placebo group displayed no significant reduction in any of the parameters. Hence, it has been suggested that turmeric could be a safe adjuvant therapy to be used for lupus nephritis.

Turmeric Dosage

Recommended curcumin dosage is 400-600mg thrice daily to treat rheumatoid arthritis.  This is also the normal recommended dosage for other conditions. You can also take turmeric supplements as cut root, dried powdered root, tincture or fluid extracts. The dosage depends on the medical condition.   My advice has always remained to use turmeric in daily diet and not as supplements unless the first option is not possible or difficult.

Precautions

Turmeric used for cooking is safe for use. In high doses and taken for long periods, turmeric could cause nausea, indigestion, dizziness or diarrhea. But this is true for any herb and even food we eat, thus is not a serious issue. But it does mean, one has to be control while taking turmeric, especially supplements where taking an overdose is very easy.
Those with gallbladder problems are advised to avoid turmeric since it could worsen the disease.    Pregnant and breastfeeding women, diabetics and those requiring surgery need to avoid turmeric supplements.  Always seek medical advice before starting any new medications for lupus or other medical conditions and never self-medicate.