Nutrients, herbs & natural products studied for Arthritis
14 PubMed clinical trials & meta-analyses analyzed
AI summary
Evidence stage: Meta-AnalysisAcross the abstracts, the arthritis evidence base is dominated by human clinical trials and meta-analyses, especially for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Collagen-based supplements, curcumin/Curcuma longa extract, glucosamine/chondroitin, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D were the most commonly studied compounds, with several reviews reporting improvements in pain, function, or inflammatory markers. Some individual trials were negative or mixed, such as krill oil for knee osteoarthritis, which did not improve pain versus placebo. Overall, the literature suggests that findings vary by compound, arthritis type, and outcome measured, and many interventions still have limited or low-quality evidence. This evidence is educational; it is not FDA-approved and is not medical advice.
Doses are those reported in the studies, not recommendations. Talk to your doctor before taking anything.
Collagen
Natural productModerate evidenceMeta-AnalysisDoses studied: Not specified in abstract
Duration: Not specified
Meta-analyses of randomized trials in knee osteoarthritis reported significant improvements in function and pain scores with oral collagen-based supplements versus placebo. One meta-analysis reported a reduction in total WOMAC score, and another found a significant decrease in stiffness, while pain and function results were not consistently significant across all analyses. The 2025 meta-analysis included 870 participants from 11 RCTs and found favorable pooled effects on both function and pain.
Curcumin / Curcuma longa extract / turmeric extracts
HerbModerate evidenceMeta-AnalysisDoses studied: 120 mg to 1500 mg
Duration: 4-36 weeks
Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluated curcumin and Curcuma longa extract in arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and gout/hyperuricemia. The abstracts report improvements in pain and inflammation outcomes, including reductions in visual analog pain scores and WOMAC measures in osteoarthritis, with generally comparable safety to placebo and some lower adverse event rates versus NSAIDs. Evidence quality was described as low in at least one review, and more randomized trials were noted as needed.
+14 more compounds studied
Unlock every compound with doses, duration, findings and sources.
Unlock with Premium