In the last article, I had mentioned that unfortunately, women are at a disadvantage when it comes to any form of arthritis. We, women tend to take our health for granted most of the time & even when there are a few red flags we ignore them until it’s too late.

That’s why I decided to touch upon this topic a little more in detail so that we could watch out for the signs, take care of it & most importantly try to avoid succumbing to this debilitating disease. So, let’s briefly revisit arthritis!

Not so fun facts about arthritis!!

Women are more susceptible to both types of arthritis; osteoarthritis & Rheumatoid arthritis.

• Women are 3 times more likely to get Rheumatoid arthritis than men! (1)
• More than 60% of osteoarthritis incidences are in women (2)
• Men are likely to develop arthritis before the age of 55, but more women than men develop arthritis after 55 (3) (4)
• Women report more pain than men from arthritis 

Why are we women at this disadvantage?

There are 3 possible reasons as per medical research:

• The difference in the Musculoskeletal system & biomechanics: Sounds pretty complicated, right? Simply put, it means that men & women are built differently! Women’s hips are wider than men's. The angle formed by the hip bones being wider than the knees puts more stress on the outside of the knees. This ‘Knock-Kneed” position, even if slight, can cause osteoarthritis in some women over a period of time. There is even a condition that develops over a period of time when we wear high heels. Not to scare any of you ladies, but just a reminder to take care of your knees.

• Excess weight: This is the most important RISK factor for osteoarthritis in both genders. But women tend to gain weight post menopause & this puts excess stress on the knees. This could also explain the reason why women post 55 show higher incidences of Osteoarthritis.

• Changes in Hormone levels: Hormone levels fluctuate with menstruation cycles & completely change during Menopause. Recent studies have found that hormones play an important role in the development of arthritis in women. Puberty at an early age, having more children, menopause & fluctuations in hormones could increase the risk of arthritis in women.

 

 

Look at these images closely & you will realise that the space & cushion between the joints is completely eroded.

In normal joints, there is a cushion that absorbs the shocks of day to day activity but constant wear & tear erodes it completely because of which the bones start rubbing against each other leading to pain & inflammation (I have tried to explain it in a simple non-scientific manner so forgive me for not using the exotic medical terminologies here)

The red portion is the inflammation & that’s the source of the unbearable pain in these conditions.

This means we need an “Inflammation warrior “ that could help ease the pain without having to pop in the typical pain killers. Curcumin in turmeric is this inflammation warrior

Does it work? You ask? My response to that would be a resounding, YES!

The benefits of curcumin are quite well known in many parts of the world & today it’s being recognised across the globe. There have been many scientific studies that have been conducted to understand the role of curcumin & its benefits.

A study published in BMC 6 suggests that curcumin in turmeric helps ease osteoarthritis pain. In this study, researchers enrolled more than 139 patients with symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee. Their symptoms were moderately severe & required a Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). For one month they were given NSAID Diclofenac (50 mg twice daily) or curcumin (500 mg thrice daily).

**Which, by the way, is equivalent to the dosage of our High Curcumin Turmeric Capsules! 

Here's what the study found :

• Both treatments relieved arthritic symptoms to a similar degree. In just a month, more than 50% of the patients reported improvement in the symptoms
• More importantly, patients taking curcumin tolerated it much better. More than 28% of Patients on Diclofenac had gastrointestinal trouble & needed medication for that too!
• There was a bonus benefit as well!. Those taking curcumin lost on average, nearly 2% of their body weight in just four weeks. That’s 3.5 pounds for a 175-pound person. Amazing, isn’t it?

Various placebo-controlled trials have conclusively proven the benefits of curcumin in relieving the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

However, curcumin, the active compound that accounts for the majority of turmeric’s health benefits-only makes up 3 to 5 % of turmeric. From which Dhow’s Turmeric has the highest, which, in fact, is quite rare. Hence to get enough curcumin for its benefits to be effective, renowned nutritionists recommend taking curcumin supplements. Experts suggest a daily curcumin supplement of 200 to 1000 mg that contains 95% curcuminoids. 

Don’t just take any supplement, check out the other ingredients in the supplements as well! Many studies have found that some of the most advertised brands don’t deliver the claims because they aren’t absorbed the way they are formulated & this number is as high as 60%!

Supplements need to be formulated in a certain way to ensure that they are properly absorbed in the body. Our High Curcumin Turmeric supplements come with piperine, the bio-active compound present in black pepper. Studies have demonstrated that combining curcumin with piperine can increase the amount of curcumin that is absorbed by the body by up to 2000%

So ladies show some self-love & start taking care of your knees & they will love you for it by being pain-free during your greying days.

Quick tips for a healthy life :

• Try maintaining your ideal healthy weight
• Incorporate exercises into your daily activities. Just increasing your daily steps will do the trick.
• Try avoiding injury
• See a doctor immediately if you experience any chronic pain
• Make a curcumin supplement  part of your lifestyle

Check out our website now to know more about how our curcumin supplement is beneficial for you.