monicapink
11-28-03, 07:02 PM
Although I personally do not suffer from arthritis at this time; I found this article VERY INTERESTING ..... I am presenting the information verbatim as taken from an article written by Jean Carper *entitled ARTHRITIS CURES THAT REALLY WORK .. Some Nutritional Approaches Are Highly Effective ....
OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA)
BEST - BET SUPPLEMENTS:
BOTH GLUCOSAMINE (DERIVED FROM CRUSTACEAN SHELLS) AND CHONDROITIN (DERIVED FROM ANIMAL CARTILAGE) RELIEVE PAIN AND IMPROVE KNEE FUNCTION IN OA PATIENTS AND ARE EXTREMELY SAFE, ACCORDING TO A MAJOR NEW BELGIAN STUDY.
Glucosamine equals or surpasses conventional drugs -- non-steroidal anti-inflammartory drugs or NSAIDs, including aspirin -- AND CAN EVEN REDUCE CARTILAGE LOSS AND SLOW THE PROGRESSION OF OA, says John Klippel, M.D. medical director of the Arthritis Foundation. In another
study, taking 1,500 milligrams of GLUCOSAMINE DAILY for 3 years REDUCED ARTHRITIC KNEE PAIN AND DISABILITY 20% TO 25%
Glucosamine and chondroitin often are combined, but Klippel says THERE IS NO PROOF THEY ARE MORE EFFECTIVE TOGETHER THAN ALONE.
GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE (500 MILLIGRAMS THREE TIMES DAILY) ALSO RELIEVES THE PAIN OF TMJ (TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT) SYNDROME, A KIND OF OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE JAW THAT OFTEN STRIKES YOUNG PEOPLE.
In many studies, the natural sulfur compound SAM=e (S-adenosyl L-methionine) WAS AN EFFECTIVE AS NSAIDs. RECOMMENDED DOSE: 600 milligrams to 1,200 milligrams a day. USE ONLY UNDER A DOCTOR'S SUPERVISION.
NOT RECOMMENDED:
ALTHOUGH MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) IS WIDELY USED AND PROMOTED, NO CONTROLLED STUDY SHOWS THAT THIS SULFUR COMPOUND RELIEVES OA IN HUMANS
DIET:
RESEARCH INCREASINGLY FINDS THAT VITAMINS AND ANTIOXIDANTS, ESPECIALLY VITAMN C, PROTECT AGAINST OA, Klippel says. LOSING WEIGHT DRAMATICALLY CUTS THE RISK OF OA IN THE KNEES AND HIPS. OVERWEIGHT MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WHO LOST 11 POUNDS OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD HALVED THEIR RISK OF KNEE-OSTEOARTHRITIS.
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA)
BEST BET SUPPLEMENTS:
FISH OIL, A POWERFUL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, RELIEVES PAIN, SWELLING AND STIFFNESS, STUDIES HAVE SHOWN.
TAKING FISH OIL ENABLES FROM 50% TO 100% OF RA PATIENTS TO DISCONTINUE NSAIDs. EXPECT IMPROVEMENT AFTER 12 WEEKS. THE USUAL DOSE IS HIGH: 3,000 milligrams of EPA/DHA (fish oil's active ingredients) daily, TAKEN UNDER A DOCTOR'S SUPERVISION BECAUSE IT CAN THIN THE BLOOD AND REACT WITH MEDICATIONS.
OTHER GOOD SUPPLEMENTS: GLA (gamma-lineolic acid) , THIS FATTY ACID IS IN EVENING PRIMROSE OIL, BLACK CURRANT OIL AND BORAGE OIL. In one study of 56 RA patients, those taking GLA daily for 6 months HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LESS JOINT PAIN AND STIFFNESS AND BETTER GRIP STRENGTH. CHECK LABELS OF OILS FOR THE AMOUNT OF GLA. THE USUAL DOSE IS ABOUT 1,800 MILLIGRAMS DAILY. TO GET IT, YOU WOULD NEED EIGHT 1,000 MILLIGRAMS CAPSULES OF BORAGE OIL, EACH CONTAINING 240 MILLIGRAMS GLA.
BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR, LIKE FISH OIL, GLA CAN THIN THE BLOOD AND REACT WITH DRUGS.
VITAMINS/MINERALS, A Mayo Clinic study found THAT OLDER WOMEN WHO TOOK VITAMIN C, VITAMIN E OR ZINC WERE 30% TO 60% LESS LIKELY TO DEVELOP RA.
NOT RECOMMENDED:
CAT'S CLAW IS A POPULAR HERBAL REMEDY WITH ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY IN ANIMALS, BUT NO STUDIES SHOW IT HELPS HUMANS.
DIET:
In a new Swedish study, RA patients who ate a MEDITERRANEAN DIET (RICH IN OLIVE OIL, CEREALS, LEGUMES, FISH, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES; LOW IN MEAT) for 3 months had less pain, better joint function and more vitality than did eaters of a typical Western diet. ONE REASON: OLIVE OIL, FISH FAT AND PRODUCE HAVE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY OR ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY.
To get the Arthritis Foundation's 2002-03 supplement guide which evaluates 46 DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS, call 800-283-7800 OR go to arthritis.org.
* According to the article Each day Ms Carper takes an Osteo-GC capsule, which contains 1,500 mg glucosamine Hcl and 1,200 mg chondroitin sulfate.
OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA)
BEST - BET SUPPLEMENTS:
BOTH GLUCOSAMINE (DERIVED FROM CRUSTACEAN SHELLS) AND CHONDROITIN (DERIVED FROM ANIMAL CARTILAGE) RELIEVE PAIN AND IMPROVE KNEE FUNCTION IN OA PATIENTS AND ARE EXTREMELY SAFE, ACCORDING TO A MAJOR NEW BELGIAN STUDY.
Glucosamine equals or surpasses conventional drugs -- non-steroidal anti-inflammartory drugs or NSAIDs, including aspirin -- AND CAN EVEN REDUCE CARTILAGE LOSS AND SLOW THE PROGRESSION OF OA, says John Klippel, M.D. medical director of the Arthritis Foundation. In another
study, taking 1,500 milligrams of GLUCOSAMINE DAILY for 3 years REDUCED ARTHRITIC KNEE PAIN AND DISABILITY 20% TO 25%
Glucosamine and chondroitin often are combined, but Klippel says THERE IS NO PROOF THEY ARE MORE EFFECTIVE TOGETHER THAN ALONE.
GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE (500 MILLIGRAMS THREE TIMES DAILY) ALSO RELIEVES THE PAIN OF TMJ (TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT) SYNDROME, A KIND OF OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE JAW THAT OFTEN STRIKES YOUNG PEOPLE.
In many studies, the natural sulfur compound SAM=e (S-adenosyl L-methionine) WAS AN EFFECTIVE AS NSAIDs. RECOMMENDED DOSE: 600 milligrams to 1,200 milligrams a day. USE ONLY UNDER A DOCTOR'S SUPERVISION.
NOT RECOMMENDED:
ALTHOUGH MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) IS WIDELY USED AND PROMOTED, NO CONTROLLED STUDY SHOWS THAT THIS SULFUR COMPOUND RELIEVES OA IN HUMANS
DIET:
RESEARCH INCREASINGLY FINDS THAT VITAMINS AND ANTIOXIDANTS, ESPECIALLY VITAMN C, PROTECT AGAINST OA, Klippel says. LOSING WEIGHT DRAMATICALLY CUTS THE RISK OF OA IN THE KNEES AND HIPS. OVERWEIGHT MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WHO LOST 11 POUNDS OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD HALVED THEIR RISK OF KNEE-OSTEOARTHRITIS.
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA)
BEST BET SUPPLEMENTS:
FISH OIL, A POWERFUL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, RELIEVES PAIN, SWELLING AND STIFFNESS, STUDIES HAVE SHOWN.
TAKING FISH OIL ENABLES FROM 50% TO 100% OF RA PATIENTS TO DISCONTINUE NSAIDs. EXPECT IMPROVEMENT AFTER 12 WEEKS. THE USUAL DOSE IS HIGH: 3,000 milligrams of EPA/DHA (fish oil's active ingredients) daily, TAKEN UNDER A DOCTOR'S SUPERVISION BECAUSE IT CAN THIN THE BLOOD AND REACT WITH MEDICATIONS.
OTHER GOOD SUPPLEMENTS: GLA (gamma-lineolic acid) , THIS FATTY ACID IS IN EVENING PRIMROSE OIL, BLACK CURRANT OIL AND BORAGE OIL. In one study of 56 RA patients, those taking GLA daily for 6 months HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LESS JOINT PAIN AND STIFFNESS AND BETTER GRIP STRENGTH. CHECK LABELS OF OILS FOR THE AMOUNT OF GLA. THE USUAL DOSE IS ABOUT 1,800 MILLIGRAMS DAILY. TO GET IT, YOU WOULD NEED EIGHT 1,000 MILLIGRAMS CAPSULES OF BORAGE OIL, EACH CONTAINING 240 MILLIGRAMS GLA.
BE SURE TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR, LIKE FISH OIL, GLA CAN THIN THE BLOOD AND REACT WITH DRUGS.
VITAMINS/MINERALS, A Mayo Clinic study found THAT OLDER WOMEN WHO TOOK VITAMIN C, VITAMIN E OR ZINC WERE 30% TO 60% LESS LIKELY TO DEVELOP RA.
NOT RECOMMENDED:
CAT'S CLAW IS A POPULAR HERBAL REMEDY WITH ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY IN ANIMALS, BUT NO STUDIES SHOW IT HELPS HUMANS.
DIET:
In a new Swedish study, RA patients who ate a MEDITERRANEAN DIET (RICH IN OLIVE OIL, CEREALS, LEGUMES, FISH, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES; LOW IN MEAT) for 3 months had less pain, better joint function and more vitality than did eaters of a typical Western diet. ONE REASON: OLIVE OIL, FISH FAT AND PRODUCE HAVE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY OR ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY.
To get the Arthritis Foundation's 2002-03 supplement guide which evaluates 46 DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS, call 800-283-7800 OR go to arthritis.org.
* According to the article Each day Ms Carper takes an Osteo-GC capsule, which contains 1,500 mg glucosamine Hcl and 1,200 mg chondroitin sulfate.