Recent study shows that combination of tamarind seed and turmeric rhizome extracts may alleviate knee pain and support joint function

A recent study¹, partially funded by NXT USA and published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, found that TamaFlex, a unique combination of tamarind seed and turmeric rhizome extracts, helped reduce knee pain, inflammation, and cartilage degradation. In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 56-day study, 90 subjects with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis were randomized to receive either placebo, 250 mg of TamaFlex per day, or 300 mg per day of TamaFlex Plus, which is TamaFlex with the addition of a an aqueous ethanol extract of Garcinia mangostana fruit rind. Researchers used the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) score as the primary efficacy measure, and improvements in the functional scores, serum proinflammatory modulators, and cartilage degradation product in the urine samples were used as secondary efficacy measures.

Results showed that at the end of the study WOMAC total scores for subjects taking TamaFlex and TamaFlex Plus were reduced by 41.86% and 56.17%, respectively, and 36.13% and 51.06% compared to placebo. The secondary outcomes were measured using Visual analog scale (VAS), Lequesne’s Functional Index (LFI), the six-minute walk test (SMWT), stair climb test (SCT), and knee flexion range of motion (ROM) at baseline, day 5, 28, and 56. At the end of the study, the TamaFlex and TamaFlex Plus groups showed 29.97% and 48.87% reductions in LFI score; 11.20% and 17.37% increases of absolute walk distance in SMWT; 10.83% and 12.37% reductions in time taken to perform the SCT, compared to baseline, respectively. Both treatment groups also saw significant reductions in serum TNF-alpha and MMP3, compared to baseline, while the TamaFlex Plus group saw significant reductions in serum IL-6, compared to baseline.

“We are thrilled to continue to build the body of evidence confirming the safe and efficacious benefits of TamaFlex, this time in a population desperately in need of relief,” said Eric Anderson, managing director, NXT USA, in a press release. “Our ingredient fills an unmet need in the joint health market that products like glucosamine and chondroitin just can’t address, namely consumer demands like clean label, vegan, non-GMO, and sustainably sourced.”

Reference

1. Kare SK et al. “Tamarindus indica seed extract-based botanical compositions alleviate knee pain and improve joint function in mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2022 (2022), Article ID 2226139, https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/2226139