Arthritis isone of the most common causes of physical disability among adults. The mostcommon form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, affects 1 in 10 Canadians, whilerheumatoid arthritis affects 1 in 100. Osteoarthritis is caused by thebreakdown of cartilage that covers and protects the ends of bones within ourjoints. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint but usually affects hips, knees,hands and spine. Rheumatoid arthritis is considered an immune system disorderin which the body's defense system mistakenly attacks the joint lining, causinginflammation.
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| The antioxidant supplement reduced all symptoms by nearly 60%. |
Fortunately,there is a growing acceptance in the health care community and the generalpublic that natural therapies for arthritis pain and stiffness are available,and are effective. Here are a few recent developments in natural healthresearch on arthritis.
Cod liver oil
Taking codliver oil to relieve arthritis and joint pain is a well known folk remedy, butone that may have some scientific merit, according to Scottish researchers.They report that cod liver oil can help reduce the need for nonsteroidalanti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications in those with rheumatoid arthritis. Inthe study, people taking NSAIDs received either 10grams (10 capsules) of a cod liver oil/fish oil blend or placebo capsules. Theresearchers found that after 9 months, 19 out of 49 people in the cod liver oilgroup were able to decrease their daily NSAID dose by more than 30%, comparedwith only 5 out 48 people in the placebo group. They also noted a significantimprovement in pain scores in the
"Fish oilsupplementation should be considered in rheumatoid arthritis patients to helpthem reduce their NSAID intake in order to attenuate the risks ofgastrointestinal and cardiovascular adverse events associated with thesedrugs," said researcher Dr. Bernat
Boswellia
This gum resinis a relative of frankincense and has been shown to relieve pain andinflammation in both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Studies indicatethat boswellia blocks leukotrienes,substances in the body that promote inflammation. In a recent study, anenriched extract of boswellia was proven to reducethe symptoms of osteoarthritis in as little as seven days.
The sameauthors have previously tested the safety of their remedy in animalexperiments. They say that, "In this study, the compound was shown to haveno major adverse effects in our osteoarthritis patients. It is safe for humanconsumption and even for long-term use."
Pycnogenol(Pine bark)
A studypublished last April shows Pycnogenol, an antioxidant plant extract from thebark of the French maritime pine tree, can reduce all osteoarthritis symptomsby 56%. Moreover, patients required dramatically less standard pain medication,which greatly improved the gastrointestinal complications resulting from thepain medication by 63%.
The randomized,double-blind, placebo-controlled study sampled 156 patients with osteoarthritisof the knee. Patients were administered 100 mg of Pycnogenol or placebo, dailyfor three months. After three months, scores for pain dropped significantly forthe Pycnogenol treatment group and no significant effects were recorded for theplacebo group. Scores for stiffness were reduced by 53% while scores forphysical function were reduced by 57% in the Pycnogenol group and improvementunder placebo was not significant. Overall well-being of patients (emotionalfunction) was significantly enhanced with the Pycnogenol group, by 64% and 15%for the placebo group.
In addition,edema decreased in 79% of the
Whileresearchers warn that increasing diabetes rates point to an"epidemic," a long-term study indicates that getting enough vitamin Ccan dramatically lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.Researchers at Addenbrooke's Hospital and the
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| People who took in the most vitamin C dramatically lowered their risk. |
After carefulanalysis, scientists discovered a strong protective effect of high vitamin Clevels against diabetes. They found that those in the top 20% of plasma vitaminC had a 62% lower adjusted risk of developing diabetes compared with those inthe lowest intake group. Those with the highest fruit and vegetable intake alsohad a 22% lower diabetes risk than subjects whose intake was lowest.
The study isthought to be the first to examine the association of plasma vitamin C and thedevelopment of diabetes. The findings suggest that suboptimal levels of vitaminC are present before the onset of the disease.
"Thestrong independent association observed in this prospective study, togetherwith biological plausibility, provides persuasive evidence of a beneficialeffect of vitamin C and fruit and vegetable intake on diabetes risk," theauthors conclude. "Because fruit and vegetables are the main sources of
Vitamin D, alsoknown as the "sunshine vitamin" because the body manufactures thevitamin after being exposed to sunshine, has a long list of health benefits.Recent research at the
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| Teeth begin to develop in the womb. |
For theirstudy, Canadian researchers at the
Researchersthen examined the children born to the women in the study for dental health atabout 16 months. They found 22% had enamel defects and 34% showed signs oftooth decay. Enamel defects during infancy significantly increase thelikelihood of tooth decay developing during early childhood.
The mothers ofthe children with signs of early tooth decay did have significantly lowerlevels of vitamin D during pregnancy than the mothers of children who did nothave cavities.
The study isthought to be the first to document a link between a mother's
Chineseresearchers report that supplementing with lycopene, the carotenoidthat give tomatoes their red colour, may be aseffective as statin drugs in reducing plaqueformation in the arteries. If the results of the animal study can be repeatedin humans, they will add to the body of research supporting the potential hearthealth benefits of lycopene, best known for benefits in prostate health.
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| Lycopene, found in tomatoes, may have a role in heart health. |
Researchersfrom
They found thatthe animals fed only the high-fat diet had higher levels of total and LDLcholesterol, triacylglycerols and oxidisedLDL than animals fed the standard diet. However, animals fed the high-fat dietand supplemented with lycopene or fluvastatin hadimproved levels of these biomarkers. In each case, the lycopene worked betterthan the statin drug.
"Lycopeneintervention reduced the increase in ox-LDL levels in rabbits on the high-fatdiet, whereas fluvastatin did not show such aneffect. The cause of this difference is at present not known, although theresult speaks in favour of lycopene," theresearchers reported.
"Thesefindings provide a theoretical rationale for the use of
What ourchildren eat affects more than their health, it impacts their future. Newresearch conducted by Paul Veugelers, professor atthe
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| A study shows that healthy eating is good for kids' bodies and brains. |
In 2003,
Shortly afterthe CLASS survey, the province conducted a standardized Elementary LiteracyAssessment. When CLASS researchers linked the literacy test results with thenutrition questionnaires, they found that "students with decreased overalldiet quality were significantly more likely to perform poorly on theassessment. Girls performed better than boys as did children fromsocioeconomically advantaged families. Children attending better schools andliving in wealthy neighborhoods also performed better."
Preventingchildhood overweight and obesity while improving academic performance can beaddressed through school-based programs that promote healthy eating andphysical activity. "In light of the current childhood overweight epidemicand underlying poor dietary habits, prevention is a public healthpriority," said Veugelers.
Two recentstudies point to the benefits of DHA and EPA essential fatty acids from fish,particularly for older people. In one study, British researchers found thateating oily fish once a week may reduce age-related macular degeneration (AMD)which is the major cause of blindness and poor vision in adults in westerncountries. There are two types of AMD, wet and dry. Of the two, wet AMD is themain cause of vision loss. The findings show that people who habitually consumeoily fish at least once a week compared with less than once a week are 50% lesslikely to have wet AMD. There was no benefit from consumption of non oily whitefish. People who took in the most DHA and EPA (300 mg per day and above) were70% less likely to have wet AMD.