can curry cure arthritis?

I read an article today on the BBC website indicating that US research suggests an extract of a spice used in curry could help prevent rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. That spice is turmeric. Turmeric has long been used in Asian medicine to treat inflammatory disorders and its extract can be found in western dietary supplements. Research at the University of Arizona shows just how the spice's curcuminoid extracts have a therapeutic effect. Experts disagree, saying that new drugs may be found, but eating more spices is unlikely to work. The University agreed that more work would need to be done before recommending turmeric supplements for medicinal use, but earlier work with rats showed that turmeric was able to prevent joint inflammation. In their research they prepared extracts from the rhizome, or root of the turmeric plant, and compared them with the commercially available products that contain turmeric extracts. An extract containing curcumin, that was free of essential oils, was the most effective in blocking the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in rats. The University also believe that turmeric could be effective in treating other inflammatory disorders such as asthma and multiple sclerosis.

A professor at the University of Liverpool in England did not think it would be a surprise if a natural occurring compound could have a drug-like effect, however, he did point out that countries that ate a lot of turmeric did not have a lower incidence of arthritis, as far as he was aware. Of course, this started me thinking that England is, in fact, one of those countries that eats a lot of Indian food and, therefore, a fair amount of turmeric.

Many visitors to England are surprised to find that Indian food is so loved by the British that it is now regarded as an essential part of their everyday diet. The British first developed a taste for curried dishes in the eighteenth century, but it was not until the 1970s that Indian food began to influence how the British ate. It soon became the norm for every neighborhood to have an Indian restaurant or take-out and many major cities have Indian shops selling lentils, basmati rice, mangoes, fragrant guavas, fenugreek and chilies, not to forget the Indian and Pakistani sweets that are sold for festivals and weddings.

Chicken Tikka Masala is a very popular dish and the recipe shown here is taken from the excellent book Williams-Sonoma London: Authentic Recipes Celebrating the Foods Of the World (Williams-Sonoma Foods of the World) which has recipes and information regarding their origin.

Ingredients - Serves 4
1/4 cup Greek or other plain whole-milk yogurt
Juice of 1 1/2 limes
2 tsp. peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp each ground cumin and garam masala
2 tsp paprika
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt
5 tbsp. sunflower oil
1 small yellow onion finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
5 green cardamom pods
1 tsp each ground cumin and ground coriander
1/2 tsp each ground turmeric and ground chile
1 lb tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced or 1 14 oz tin
1 jalapeno chile, thinly sliced
1/2 cup heavy double cream
1/4 tsp garam masala
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Warm naan or pita breads

1. In a glass bowl, stir together the yoghurt, lime juice, 2 tsp. ginger, cumin, garam masala, and paprika. Trim excess fat from chicken and cut into 1 inch cubes. Add to the marinade and stir and refrigerate from 1 to 7 hours.

2. Preheat the broiler. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shake off the excess and place on a plate. Season with salt and drizzle with 2 tablespoons sunflower oil; toss to coat. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a foil-lined broiler pan and broil, turning once until browned, approx. 3 mins. each side. Alternatively, heat a stove top grill pan over medium-high heat, add the chicken in a single layer, and cook, turning once, until browned, 3 mins. each side. Set aside.

3. To make the masala sauce, in a saucepan over a medium heat, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons sunflower oil. Add the onion, remaining 1 tsp ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, 4-5 minutes. Add the cardamom, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and ground chile and cook, stirring constantly for 2 mins. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently until the oil separates from the tomato mixture, 5-8 mins. Add the chile, cream, and 1/2 cup water, bring to boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mixture forms a creamy sauce, 8-10 mins. Stir in the cooked chicken and the garam masala, season to taste with salt, and simmer until the chicken is heated, 8-10 mins. Stir in the lemon juice. Serve at once with warm naan or pita breads.