{"id":2622,"date":"2017-11-08T01:38:04","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T01:38:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/uni-vite.iconsdg.com\/?p=2622"},"modified":"2018-02-02T18:24:47","modified_gmt":"2018-02-02T18:24:47","slug":"natural-treatment-arthritis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uni-vite.com\/supplements\/natural-treatment-arthritis\/","title":{"rendered":"Natural treatment for arthritis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you suffer from stiffness and pain in your joints \u00e2\u20ac\u201c whether in knees, hips, shoulders or hands \u00e2\u20ac\u201c you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to be told it can be miserable.<\/p>\n

So, if you experience a flare-up, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s natural to reach for a painkiller, but they only treat the symptoms and not the cause.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, new high-quality research shows there are individual natural supplements that can make a measurable improvement in the quality of your life \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and indeed reduce the risk of the disease occurring in the first place.<\/p>\n

What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s more, these ingredients can be combined to boost their effectiveness \u00e2\u20ac\u201c loosening stiff fingers, relieving joint tenderness, easing painful shoulders and alleviating sore knees.<\/p>\n

The nutritional supplements with the best evidence of effectiveness are curcumin, boswellia, vitamin D3, vitamin K2 and glucosamine. Lecithin and piperine are useful additions because they maximise your body\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ability to absorb the other joint nutrients \u00e2\u20ac\u201c \u00c2\u00a0they boost their bioavailability.\u00c2\u00a0 All of them are natural and safe ingredients.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But why this particular combination? Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s look at the evidence, one by one. But first a short background.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How osteo-arthritis develops<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

There are many different forms of arthritis but the most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. They have different causes and the one we will mainly discuss is the most prevalent \u00e2\u20ac\u201c osteoarthritis. However the solution we discuss will help all forms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Osteoarthritis is age-related<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Some 10% of men and 18% of women over the age of 60 suffer from arthritis and joint problems. More women than men are sufferers, because the postmenopausal phase increases the risk of developing osteoarthritis due to imbalances in hormones.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cartilage (the protective cushion at the end of your bones) in your joints begins to wear over time. This causes pro-inflammatory chemicals from the body\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s white blood cells to migrate to the joint site.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The release of these chemicals increases the flow of blood to the area of injury, resulting in redness and warmth \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a sign of inflammation.
Some of the chemicals cause a leak of fluid into the surrounding tissues, resulting in swelling \u00e2\u20ac\u201c which may in turn stimulate nerves and\u00c2\u00a0cause pain.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a two-way process.\u00c2\u00a0 The increase in inflammatory chemicals within the joint causes further irritation, more swelling of the joint lining and further wearing down of cartilage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Boswellia \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a centuries old treatment with modern scientific proof<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Boswellia serrata<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0is a plant that has been used in India and the Middle East for centuries for joint problems, osteoarthritis and indeed other inflammatory diseases like asthma and even Crohn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Disease.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Boswellia has anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic and analgesic properties. Which is perhaps why in its resin form \u00e2\u20ac\u201c frankincense \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it was brought by one of the Three Wise Men!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Double-blind placebo-controlled trials<\/h4>\n

The \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcgold standard\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 for clinical trials is what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s called a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Essentially that means you test your supplement (or drug) against a placebo, but neither the patients nor the researchers know which is which.<\/p>\n

Boswellia was tested in such a trial on patients with osteoarthritis for 8 weeks and the report in\u00c2\u00a0Phytomedicine<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0states:<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u0153All patients receiving the treatment reported a decrease in knee pain, increased knee flexion and increased walking distance. The frequency of swelling in the knee joint was decreased.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Even more remarkably, pain started to be significantly reduced\u00c2\u00a0in as little as 7 days<\/u>. The researchers went on to say:<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Boswellia Serrata extract is recommended in patients of osteoarthritis of the knee with possible therapeutic use in other arthritis.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A report in\u00c2\u00a0Alternative Medicine Review\u00c2\u00a0<\/em>in 2008 on a further double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on Boswellia, found that all the patients who were suffering from osteoarthritis experienced a significant decrease in pain and swelling and increase in range of motion compared to placebo.<\/p>\n

How does Boswellia work?<\/h4>\n

The main three inflammatory chemicals in the body are called 5-LOX, TNF and IL-1. \u00c2\u00a0As an anti-inflammatory, boswellia (and as we will see later, curcumin too) helps \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcswitch off\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 these inflammatory chemicals. That is also how arthritis drugs work \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but there are many concerns that some of these come with undesirable side-effects.<\/p>\n

Other benefits of Boswellia<\/h4>\n

Because it is an anti-inflammatory, boswellia may also play a role in reducing the effect of other inflammatory chemicals in the body called leukotrienes. These cause bronchial muscles to contract, which is what happens in\u00c2\u00a0asthma<\/strong>. A study of Boswellia\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s effect on bronchial asthma found that patients who took the extract did indeed benefit from decreased symptoms and indicators of asthma.<\/p>\n

There is also animal study evidence that boswellia might help inhibit the spread of\u00c2\u00a0cancer<\/strong>. This is possible, because we know that, while inflammation within body tissues does not directly cause cancer, it does encourage the conditions that facilitate its spread. There is certainly current active research that indicates that boswellia might be cytotoxic to brain tumour cells.<\/p>\n

How much do you need?<\/h4>\n

The main active constituent of Boswellia is a compound called\u00c2\u00a0AKBA<\/strong>. To be effective and reproduce the results shown in the above clinical trials, you should look for a supplement that includes boswellia that is standardised to a 20% level of AKBA. \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcStandardised\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 means concentrated and with each batch having the same composition.\u00c2\u00a0 AKBA stands for the distinctly unmemorable molecule Acetyl-Keto-beta-Boswellic Acid.<\/p>\n

A level of\u00c2\u00a0100 mg<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0a day is an average dose, but this could be increased to\u00c2\u00a0200mg<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0a day for faster relief.<\/p>\n

AKBA has a similar end effect to the NSAIDs \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that are frequently prescribed for arthritic pain.\u00c2\u00a0 It reduces pain, reduces the swelling of inflamed joints and eases mobility.<\/p>\n

Boswellia, however, is a natural plant extract and has a mechanism of action that is different from NSAIDs, because it targets different inflammatory enzymes. Since they do not irritate the lining of the stomach and gut, Boswellia extracts cause few side-effects and pose little or no risk for toxicity compared to NSAIDs.<\/p>\n

Safety<\/h4>\n

Boswellia is a plant with centuries of safe use, although there are some indications that boswellia supplements should not be used by pregnant women.
Boswellia may also lower blood sugar levels and on very rare occasions may cause temporary diarrhoea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Curcumin \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a powerful natural anti-inflammatory<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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One of the best-researched natural anti-inflammatories is the spice turmeric, which contains a compound called curcumin.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As with Boswellia, turmeric and curcumin have been used for centuries in India and China as a treatment for joint ailments. And Western science has verified they are very effective.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Over 500 studies<\/h4>\n

There are now over 500 studies confirming that curcumin is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory compounds. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 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

A 2013 report in the US Library of Medicine (references below) summarised the evidence from over 75 clinical trials on curcumin. It confirms that:<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Strong molecular evidence has been published for its potency to target multiple inflammatory diseases \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Curcumin has great potential for treating OA (osteoarthritis) having preclinical evidence of efficacy.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Finally, research has shown that curcumin is a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcchondro-protective agent\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it protects cartilage and helps prevent it from degrading.<\/p>\n

A report in the journal\u00c2\u00a0Arthritis Research and Therapy<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0shows that curcumin can even help in regenerating cartilage in osteoarthritis.<\/p>\n

How does curcumin work?<\/h4>\n

Curcumin inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory immune compounds called cytokines. It also blocks the main enzyme responsible for arthritic pain called COX-2.<\/p>\n

Pain killers called NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen) also work by blocking COX-2 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but these can have side effects that include gastric upsets, increased risk of ulcers and a slightly elevated risk of heart disease. So curcumin is a safer alternative.<\/p>\n

If you are on an arthritis drug like celecoxib (trade name Celebrex) which targets the inflammatory enzyme COX-2, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be interested to know that a study published in\u00c2\u00a0Rheumatology (Oxford)<\/em>\u00c2\u00a02006, showed that curcumin enhances the activity of celecoxib to help prevent the progression of osteoarthritis. This should enable the use of safer and lower dose of celecoxib with better outcomes.<\/p>\n

Oxidative or free radical damage and inflammation are now known to be a root cause of some cancers, of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.<\/p>\n

So if you are over 60, taking a joint supplement that includes curcumin and boswellia seems to be worthwhile preventative measure not just against the development or progression of arthritis, but for your general health.<\/p>\n

The following surprising statistics from the Arthritis Foundation highlight the fact that arthritis is not an isolated health problem:<\/p>\n