Natural treatments for lupus
Natural treatments for lupus, an autoimmune disease primarily affecting young and middle-aged women, focus on managing symptoms and improving quality of life. While conventional treatments often involve anti-inflammatory medications and corticosteroids, some individuals explore natural alternatives. A prominent natural option is dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a hormone that has shown promise in reducing lupus symptoms in clinical studies. Other proposed treatments include omega-3 rich fish oil, which may offer anti-inflammatory effects, and flaxseed, potentially beneficial for lupus-related kidney issues. Curcumin, derived from turmeric, also exhibits anti-inflammatory properties, though more extensive research is needed to confirm its efficacy.
It's important to note that certain supplements and herbs, such as alfalfa, should be avoided due to their potential to exacerbate lupus symptoms. Additionally, wellness practices like yoga and mindfulness may provide supportive benefits, although scientific backing varies. Individuals considering natural treatments should consult healthcare professionals to ensure a safe and integrated approach to managing lupus.
Natural treatments for lupus
DEFINITION: Treatment of an autoimmune disease in which antibodies develop to fight foreign substances in the body.
PRINCIPAL PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENT: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) or androstenolone
OTHER PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENTS: Beta-carotene, Cordyceps, fish oil, flaxseed, food allergen identification and avoidance, magnesium, pantothenic acid, selenium, vitamin B3, vitamin B12, vitamin E
NATURAL PRODUCT TO AVOID: Alfalfa
Introduction
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), also known as lupus, is an autoimmune disease that primarily affects young and middle-aged women. Its cause is unknown but is believed to involve both genetic inheritance and factors in the environment. Whatever the cause, people with lupus develop antibodies against substances in their own bodies, including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). These antibodies cause widespread damage and are believed to be primarily responsible for the many symptoms of this disease.
Lupus may begin with such symptoms as fatigue, weight loss, fever, malaise, and loss of appetite. Other common early symptoms include muscle pain, joint pain, and a facial rash. As lupus progresses, symptoms may develop in virtually every part of the body. Kidney damage is one of the most devastating effects of lupus, but many other serious problems may develop, including seizures, mental impairment, anemia, and inflammation of the heart, blood vessels, eyes, and digestive tract.
Conventional treatment for lupus centers on a variety of anti-inflammatory drugs. In mild cases, taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may help; more severe forms of lupus require long-term use of corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs, such as prednisone. The side effects of these medications can be quite serious themselves. Cytotoxic agents (azathioprine, thioguanine, cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, mechlorethamine, cisplatin, carmustine, busulfan, and dacarbazine) might also be helpful, but they, too, have many side effects. Close physician supervision is always required with lupus because of the risk of complications in so many organs.
Principal Proposed Natural Treatments
A meaningful body of evidence indicates that the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may be helpful for the treatment of lupus when used as part of a comprehensive, physician-directed treatment approach. DHEA is the most abundant steroid hormone found in the bloodstream. The body uses DHEA as the starting material for making the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen. DHEA has been tried as a treatment for a variety of medical conditions, including osteoporosis, but it is showing its greatest promise in the treatment of lupus.
A twelve-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 381 women with mild or moderate lupus evaluated the effects of DHEA at a dose of 200 milligrams (mg) daily. Although many participants in both groups improved (the power of placebo is often amazing), DHEA was more effective than placebo, reducing many symptoms of the disease. Similarly, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 120 women with lupus, the use of DHEA at a dose of 200 mg daily significantly decreased symptoms and reduced the frequency of disease flare-ups. A smaller study found equivocal evidence that a lower dose of DHEA (30 mg daily for women older than age forty-five years and 20 mg daily for women aged forty-five years) might also work.
One review of published studies concluded that DHEA may meaningfully improve an individual’s short-term quality of life, but it is unlikely to alter the long-term course of the disease.
Other Proposed Natural Treatments
Flaxseed contains lignans and alpha-linolenic acid, substances with a wide variety of effects in the body. In particular, flaxseed may antagonize the activity of a substance called platelet-activating factor (PAF) that plays a role in lupus kidney disease (lupus nephritis). Preliminary evidence suggests that flaxseed might help prevent or treat lupus nephritis.
Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have some anti-inflammatory effects. Fish oil has been found useful in rheumatoid arthritis, a disease related to lupus. The results of two small double-blind studies suggest that fish oil might also be useful for lupus. However, other evidence suggests that fish oil is not effective for lupus nephritis. A 2022 analysis of fish oil’s impact on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) found positive results for lupus symptoms that impact the skin.
A compound found in turmeric called curcumin may be helpful for people with SLE. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and antimicrobial properties that may inhibit antibody production. A 2022 analysis of research found positive data to support this use of curcumin, but large-scale human trials are lacking.
Other treatments sometimes recommended for lupus include beta-carotene, Cordyceps, magnesium, selenium, cannabinoids, green tea's epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), vitamin B3, vitamin B12, vitamin E, pantothenic acid, and food allergen identification and avoidance. However, there is no meaningful evidence that these treatments work for lupus. Another study failed to find copper supplements helpful for lupus symptoms. All these treatments have conflicting evidence in the literature, but it is clear that some have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties that, at a minimum, improve symptoms.
Wellness practices like yoga, mindfulness, guided imagery, and meditation are also recommended for individuals with lupus. Other mond-body treatments like hypnotherapy and acupuncture are also commonly recommended. Though these methods may work for some people and have few side effects, little scientific evidence endorses their use for lupus treatment.
Herbs and Supplements to Avoid
The herb alfalfa contains the amino acid L-canavanine, which can worsen lupus or bring it out of remission. People with lupus should avoid alfalfa. Garlic, alcohol, red meat, sodium, calcium-rich foods, and trans-fats have also been identified as irritants for individuals with lupus. Also, various herbs and supplements may interact adversely with drugs used to treat lupus.
Bibliography
Chang, D. M., et al. “Dehydroepiandrosterone Treatment of Women with Mild-to-Moderate Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.” Arthritis and Rheumatism, vol. 46, 2002, pp. 2924-27.
"Complementary and Alternative Medicine of Lupus." Lupus UK, 12 Sept. 2024, www.lupus.org/resources/are-there-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-therapies-for-lupus. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Crosbie, D., et al. “Dehydroepiandrosterone for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2007): CD005114. EBSCO DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance, www.ebscohost.com/dynamed.
Lubov, Janet E. "Medicinal Plant Extracts and Natural Compounds for the Treatment of Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus: A Systematic Review." Frontiers Pharmacology, vol. 13, 2022, doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.802624.
Sansone, Marissa. "Natural Treatment for Lupus." Verywell Health, 26 Jan. 2023, www.verywellhealth.com/natural-lupus-remedies-89288. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Zeng, Liuting, et al. “Curcumin and Curcuma longa Extract in the Treatment of 10 Types of Autoimmune Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 31 Randomized Controlled Trials.” Frontiers in Immunology, vol. 13, Aug. 2022, doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.896476.