Rheumatoid arthritis<\/h4>\n
This is, of course, an auto-immune disease which affects three times more women than men, generally starting when the sufferer is aged 40 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c 50 years.<\/p>\n
Osteoarthritis<\/h4>\n
![\"Joint](\"http:\/\/uni-vite.com\/jointshield\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/arthiticjoint.jpg\")
This occurs when the cartilage that lines the joints begins to wear away \u00e2\u20ac\u201c meaning that the cartilage lining starts to roughen and become thinner, causing tendons and ligaments to work harder.<\/p>\n
This in turn can cause swelling, inflammation and possibly the formation of bony spurs, called osteophytes<\/em>. In acute cases, bone rubs on bone when the joints move, which causes inflammation, acute pain, swelling and stiffness \u00e2\u20ac\u201c leading to restricted mobility.<\/p>\n Osteoarthritis affects 10 million people in the UK \u00e2\u20ac\u201c about one person in every 15. And 1 in 8 over the age of 50.<\/p>\n What is far less recognised is that arthritis is much more common among people who have other chronic conditions. In adults,<\/p>\n Why the correlation? Because chronic internal tissue inflammation is a key driver of almost all so-called \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcage related\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 diseases. We say \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcso-called\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 because it isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ageing as such that causes the diseases \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it is the accumulated damage to cells and tissues. And it is inflammation (and excess free radical action) that triggers this tissue damage.<\/p>\n To the extent that inflammation is virtually always involved in arthritis \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and other illnesses \u00e2\u20ac\u201c can diet help? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an important question when the side effects of prescription pain relief NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) \u00e2\u20ac\u201c like ibuprofen, naproxen and high-dose aspirin \u00e2\u20ac\u201c can include stomach ulcers and possibly even heart attacks.<\/p>\n Research shows that people who regularly eat oily fish, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids, are less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA). And Omega 3 oil helps reduce joint swelling and pain in those who already have the disease.<\/p>\n The same research shows that anti-inflammatory effects from omega-3s are helpful not just for relieving arthritis, but also for preventing other diseases linked to inflammation, such as\u00c2\u00a0heart disease and stroke.<\/p>\n Omega-3 fish oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory that<\/p>\n The best sources of omega-3 are fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel. Eating a 125g \/ 5-ounce serving of oily fish 3 times a week is recommended for lowering inflammation, easing joints and protecting the heart.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, many fish that are rich in omega-3s can also be high in mercury. So a valid solution \u00e2\u20ac\u201c especially if 3 portions of oily fish a week is an unrealistic target \u00e2\u20ac\u201c is to take an Omega 3 fish oil capsule that is from a sustainable and mercury-free source.<\/p>\n But oily fish is not the only source of anti-inflammatory food.<\/p>\n These include broccoli<\/strong>, kale<\/strong>, Brussels sprouts<\/strong> and cabbage<\/strong>. An easy way to top up on these valuable vegetables is through stir-fries, curries and soups.<\/p>\n One of the best-researched anti-inflammatory fighters is the spice turmeric, which contains a compound called curcumin.<\/p>\n A 2012 review published in the\u00c2\u00a0International Journal of Molecular Sciences<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0said that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153curcumin could be beneficial in the management of chronic inflammatory-related joint disease\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n There are now over 500 studies confirming that curcumin is indeed one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory compounds, which is why curcumin supplements have been shown to help reduce the risk, not just of joint inflammation and pain, but of heart disease, stroke and even Alzheimer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u201c as there is an inflammatory element in that disease too.<\/p>\n But curcumin does have a disadvantage \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it is not normally well absorbed by the body unless it is accompanied by a fat source. So an Omega 3 and curcumin combination is ideal. Another way to make curcumin more bio-available is to consume it in conjunction with black pepper, as a compound in pepper, called piperine, increases its bio-availability. So recently some daily combination health supplements, like NutriShield<\/a><\/u>, have added piperine to their formula.<\/p>\n Garlic is a member of the same family that includes onions and leeks. The Rheumatology Center of San Diego confirms that these all contain a plant compound called diallyl disulphide.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This compound may have some effect in limiting cartilage-damaging enzymes,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Dr Scott Zashin, Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas<\/p><\/blockquote>\n A 22 year longitudinal study from the University of South Florida has reported that people who took vitamin C supplements were 11 percent less likely to develop knee osteoarthritis than those who didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t take the supplements.<\/p>\n That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s logical as cartilage is made of collagen, and your body requires vitamin C to make this protein. However, once the condition was established, vitamin C appeared to have only a small effect on its progression.<\/p>\n A number of people with arthritis report relief from eating tart cherries and drinking tart cherry juice. These cherries (the best-known are probably Morello cherries) contain a polyphenol (a potent plant compound) called anthocyanin<\/strong> that gives the cherries their colour.<\/p>\n A 2013 study published in\u00c2\u00a0Osteoarthritis and Cartilage<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0found that subjects who drank two 175ml (6-ounce) bottles of tart cherry juice per day for 6 weeks had improvements in the pain and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis. Drinking the juice also lowered a blood marker for inflammation called CRP or C-reactive protein.<\/p>\n A huge new area of study now is the microbiome<\/strong> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the overall name for the trillions of micro-organisms that live within your intestinal tract. Your microbiome contains both harmful and friendly bacteria and it is the balance between the two that determines whether your gut composition contributes to \u00e2\u20ac\u201c or diminishes \u00e2\u20ac\u201c your health.<\/p>\n Your diet strongly affects the composition of your microbiome \u00e2\u20ac\u201c just as your microbiome also affects how well you absorb nutrients from food.<\/p>\n Since probiotic good bacteria directly affect your immune function, and since rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune condition, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s possible that changes in the microbiome may well affect the status of rheumatoid arthritis. There are several ongoing studies on this subject. Meanwhile there have been reports from rheumatoid arthritis patients that a multi-strain probiotic can provide a measurable level of relief.<\/p>\n Pro<\/em>-inflammatory foods like sugary drinks, pastries and high temperature cooked red meats may aggravate osteoarthritis if eaten too often.<\/p>\n And some people may experience more pain if they eat substantial amounts of foods from the nightshade family, including aubergine (egg-plant), tomatoes, red peppers and potatoes.<\/p>\n So far we have been discussing how the pain and discomfort of arthritis can be alleviated in a natural way by reducing inflammation.<\/p>\n But pain is just the symptom \u00e2\u20ac\u201c you will also want to help rebuild cartilage and joints to the extent that is possible.<\/p>\n We have seen that cartilage is composed of the protein collagen. The most abundant amino acids in collagen fibre are glycine and proline. Glycine and proline are plentiful in animal-derived gelatin, which in turn is found abundantly in bone broth.\u00c2\u00a0 You can make your own cartilage and collagen-building stock by simmering the bones of your choice with water, vegetables and herbs.<\/p>\n But does it actually work? \u00c2\u00a0Most original studies were done on animals, but human studies using single-nutrient glucosamine supplements show only a modest to nil improvement over a placebo in either pain relief or joint mobility.<\/p>\n That is hardly surprising because in your body, glucosamine needs the presence of both vitamin K and vitamin D to build cartilage.<\/p>\n So glucosamine on its own<\/u> is unlikely to have a big effect. Your joint supplement also needs to contain vitamins D and K.<\/p>\n Several joint supplements combine chondroitin with glucosamine, but these two compounds have essentially the same function and glucosamine \u00e2\u20ac\u201c providing it is accompanied by vitamins D and K \u00e2\u20ac\u201c is sufficient.<\/p>\n The conclusion from research then is that an effective, natural supplement for joints should work on two levels \u00e2\u20ac\u201c<\/p>\n That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s exactly the concept behind JointShield<\/a><\/u>, which was originally formulated by Dr Paul Clayton, the former Chair of the Forum on Health at the Royal Society of Medicine. It includes glucosamine, vitamin D, vitamin K, curcumin, pomegranate extract and beta sitosterol\u00c2\u00a0 – a plant compound that also reduces inflammation \u00e2\u20ac\u201c indeed it is a popular supplement for marathon runners to reduce the pain and swelling after a run.<\/p>\n If you enjoyed this article, please share it with family and friends. You can follow us on Facebook or Twitter for daily headline health tweets.[DISPLAY_ACURAX_ICONS]<\/p>\n Dr Paul Clayton designed NutriShield as a comprehensive health See online here for delicious recipes from the Health Defence Cookbook<\/strong><\/em> incorporating healthy foods featuring in a Mediterranean Diet. Arthritis is linked to other degenerative illnesses<\/h3>\n
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Seven nutritional and food solutions for pain relief<\/h2>\n
Oily fish<\/h3>\n
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Leafy greens<\/h3>\n
![\"Cruciferous](\"http:\/\/uni-vite.com\/jointshield\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/vitaminK.jpg\")
A 2013 study (on mice) showed that cruciferous (leafy green) vegetables which contain a compound called sulforaphane can help slow cartilage damage in joints due to osteoarthritis.<\/p>\nTurmeric\/Curcumin<\/h3>\n
Garlic, onions and leeks<\/h3>\n
Vitamin C<\/h3>\n
Tart cherries<\/h3>\n
Pomegranate<\/h3>\n
![\"Pomegranate\"](\"http:\/\/uni-vite.com\/jointshield\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Pomegranate.jpg\")
In an animal trial at Case Western Reserve University, researchers found \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcstrong evidence\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 that pomegranate extract (rich in anti-oxidants) helped supress inflammation and delay both the onset and reduce the severity of osteoarthritis.<\/p>\nProbiotics or ‘friendly’ bacteria<\/h3>\n
Avoid pro-inflammatory foods<\/h3>\n
Nutrients and food to help rebuild cartilage and joints<\/h2>\n
Bone broth<\/h3>\n
Glucosamine<\/h3>\n
![\"Glucosamine\"](\"http:\/\/uni-vite.com\/jointshield\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/glucosamine.gif\")
Glucosamine is made in your body from sugars and proteins bound together. Glucosamine is a naturally occurring compound in joint cartilage, ligaments, tendons and synovial fluids (the lubricating fluids surrounding joints). So the premise for supplementing with glucosamine is that it should boost your levels and help alleviate arthritis symptoms.<\/p>\nWhat about chondroitin?<\/h4>\n
A 2-level approach<\/h2>\n
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