Turmeric and LupusCorner Poll Results

In total, there were 1,102 responses. However, 67 of the responses indicated that the person did not have lupus so we will use 1,035 responses from people with lupus.

Interestingly, nearly 45% of people had tried using the spice for lupus symptom management. This seems high, but it may be because it is a relatively common spice that is available at grocery stores. We do not know how people used the spice because of the question wording. But, we do know that 45% of people admitted to consuming the spice with the intention of decreasing their lupus symptoms.

The 45% of people had tried using turmeric from above was equal to 464 responses. From our survey, 75.4% of people that used turmeric for lupus found it beneficial.

There are plenty of conversations and articles online about the benefits of the spice. But, why does it not seem to work for nearly one quarter of people that took the survey?

The chemical composition & variability

Much of the research into the effectiveness of turmeric focuses on curcumin. Curcumin is a substance that can be extracted from the spice. But, as noted in a review by Dr. S. C. Gupta, et. al, in 2012, curcumin only makes up about 2-5% of turmeric.

The researchers continued their discussion of the spice variability. “The qualitative and quantitative compositions of turmeric vary often with varieties, locations, sources, and cultivation conditions.” 235 compounds make up turmeric, so this is not much of a surprise. Some research suggests that curcumin may provide value. However, this variability of the spice makes it a bit more difficult to make comparisons across products.