Could THIS Indian spice hold the secret to repairing bone mass in the elderly?

The study involved fit, healthy and slim men and women who all suffered declining bone density.

In just six months, those taking a daily tablet of the turmeric and soy lecithin formulation boosted bone density by seven per cent compared with a group given a placebo. 

The quality of bone in the heels, jaws and fingers of the group – who had an average age of 70 – was measured at the start of the project using specialized ultrasound scanning. 

By the end of the trial bone density had increased in all three sites by up to 7 per cent above the placebo, suggesting a significant benefit.

Curcumin researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia, along with INSERM the French government’s medical research laboratories, and a team of doctors from four prestigious American universities, have published similar conclusions.

Doctors are increasingly concerned that almost three quarters of elderly people lose strength-providing bone mineral.

The condition called osteopenia, mostly caused by a lack of exercise, can worsen into osteoporosis and lead to fatal fractures if untreated.

Every year about 65,000 people suffer hip fractures caused by bone fragility, leading to the deaths of up to 35 per cent of victims in the older age groups. 

Turmeric+, which comes from the powerful root of the curcumin plant, is sold in Britain by the Cambridge bioscience company Cambridge Nutraceuticals under the brand FutureYou. 

Alf Lindberg, a former Nobel prize committee member who is a scientific spokesman for Cambridge Nutraceuticals, said: �We’re are delighted by these results, and we are stepping up our osteoporosis research programme with turmeric as a result. 

�Our formulation is better absorbed by the human body than turmeric in its natural form, and we believe it could offer an earlier side-effect free alternative for people at risk from osteoporosis.�

Bone mineral density is regulated by maintaining a balance between bone-building osteoblast cells and osteoclasts, which are designed to mop up ageing bone cells for replacement.

In older people osteoclast activity may outweigh the rate of bone replacement.

Stefano Togni, is scientific spokesman for the world’s largest researcher into plant based treatments, Indena, which developed the raw material for Turmeric+.

He said the Italian company had produced similar promising bone-building results with the uniquely bioavailable compound in animal studies. 

He said: �Our work suggests this form of curcumin dampens down the rate of bone resorption which could be very good news, because it would mean that people who are in the early stages of bone loss will now have a treatment.”

Elise Verron, a specialist in the evaluation of medicines for INSERM from the University of Nantes in France, was a co-author of a review of the bone-building properties of curcumin and turmeric in the Nature journal Bonekey. 

She agrees that the key to harnessing its power will depend on developing strategies to improve absorption.

She said: �In the past decade there has been growing interest in curcumin because of its low toxicity and multiple therapeutic actions including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities, but few studies have looked at its effect on bone tissue.

�At the moment it is too early to get a clear idea of the benefit.�

Luca Giacomelli, of the department of integrated diagnostics at Genoa University, who was one of the leaders of the new Italian study, said the results were promising.

But he cautioned that the effect cannot be replicated simply by adding regular curry to the diet because turmeric in food is less easily absorbed. 

He said: �People need to take this kind of high quality supplement under medical supervision.�

The findings may also come as good news for thousands of people advised by doctors to take bisphosphonate drugs designed to maintain bone density by reducing the rate of bone breakdown. 

Latest research has suggested that long term users of these drugs may suffer ‘microcracks’.