Showing posts with label arthritis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arthritis. Show all posts

Sunday, August 1, 2010

"JOINT JUICE"-A NEW "PALLIATIVE" FOR ARTHRITIC PAIN RELIEF?


Joint pains affect a significant segment of the population beyond the age of 45 years. Arthralgia and Arthritis refer to joint pains in humans and there are more than a dozen reasons for developing such ailments affecting joints like knees, elbows, fingers, hips and parts of the body where bones, muscles and tendons have to move freely for carrying out many every day physical activities smoothly. While Arthralgia causes non-inflammatory type joint pains, all arthritic related pains are inflammatory in nature. Many anti-inflammation drugs and corticosteroids help in giving relief from arthritic joint pains though temporarily but joint replacement by surgical intervention is becoming common now a days.

Three most commonly used chemicals to treat joint pains are glucosamine, chondroitin and methyl sulfomethyl methane though they are not still approved universally as safe and effective drugs. Research studies are neither conclusive nor unanimous regarding the effectiveness of treatment with the above chemicals though majority seems to be favoring their use. No toxic effects have been reported on their regular consumption. Many countries allow them as food supplements requiring no clinical data to prove the claims or the safety of use.

Glucosamine, by far the most frequently preferred joint pain relief supplement has been extensively studied and as it is a part of the biological system its use is logically taken as safe as well as effective by the consumers. It is essential for stimulation of synovial production of hyaluronic acid and inhibition of cartilage degrading liposomal enzymes. Glucosamine is an amino sugar and as such is a precursor to all glycosylated proteins in human system. Though it is produced mostly by extracting chitin and chitosan through hydrolysis of exoskeleton of crustaceans there are plant derived glucosamine for the benefit of vegans. Fermentation of corn or wheat is a route used to make vegan glucosamine. The mold Aspergillus niger is a good source of glucosamine which can be extracted from its cell wall.

Recent development of two products, Joint Juice and Joint Juice Performance Water which are liquid dietary supplements contain glucosamine, a natural compound found in healthy cartilage. According to the Mayo Clinic authorities, studies by their scientists have indicated that glucosamine is beneficial in treating arthritis, particularly for the knee joints. Commercial preparations, depending on the formula and flavor, may also contain B vitamins, electrolytes and vitamin C. If the claims of the scientists who developed these products mainly for professional athletes, are to be believed the supplement can improve flexibility and joint function within four to eight weeks of daily use. What is disturbing about these claims is that such assertions are not supported by clinical studies and no health authorities any where in the world have evaluated these products let alone accord approval from safety angle. The glucosamine in Joint Juice does have the advantage of being plant-based, whereas most glucosamine products in the market are derived from shellfish and are not vegetarian in nature.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

Friday, June 26, 2009

ARTHRITIC TRAUMA-THE "FOOD" THERAPY



Array of processed foods, available to the modern day consumer, make it difficult to choose a diet that is considered healthy. In spite of universally accepted guidelines on daily diet for a healthy life available, lack of awareness and ease of convenience invariably drive the consumer to go for foods that suits his palates and satisfy his sensory desires. Progressive decline in consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, is a consequence of the growing influence of food processing industry which strives to add value to food raw materials through application of modern technologies. Classical examples are white rice devoid of the goodness of the bran, refined wheat flour sans the bran and the germ, peeled and dressed fruits and vegetables, refined edible oils, etc

Arthritis is a painful disorder which can make life miserable for those affected by it. Though the causative factors that precipitate the symptoms are not well understood, all treatment regimes are based on lessening the pain and allowing the patients to lead an almost normal life. Hip and knees, most affected can be surgically repaired for eliminating the problems associated with arthritis. Genetics, age, weight, previous injury, occupational hazards, some sports activities, illnesses and infections can cause symptoms of arthritis, the severity varying from person to person. The disease affects the musculoskeleton system, specifically the joints. Cartilage in the joints covers the bone surfaces to stop the ends of the bones rubbing directly against each other and prevent attrition causing wear and tear. Some of the direct causative factors include wearing out of the cartilage, lack of synovial fluid, autoimmunity, infection etc singly or in combination. According to medical science there are over 100 types of arthritis and treatment regime depends on precise diagnosis of the symptoms manifested in the affected persons. While rheumatic arthritis affect people between ages 20 and 45 yeas, osteoarthritis is more seen amongst old age population.

Different perceptions exist regarding the type of food one should avoid to pre-empt or reduce the impact and what can be consumed to ameliorate the symptoms of this disease. Sugar and fatty foods, red meat, cream, cheese, dairy products, caffeine containing beverages, tomato, peppers, chocolates, salt, etc are considered undesirable for arthritis affected persons. In gout arthritis alcohol and purine rich foods like meat worsens the misery. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and omega-3 fatty acid containing foods also are known to lessen the effect of arthritis in many people. Drinking one glass of freshly squeezed orange juice every day is supposed to cut the risk of developing inflammatory form of arthritis significantly. Not to be left behind, a group of scientists claim that, UCII, an undenatured type II collagen, extracted from chicken sternum cartilage, decreases arthritis pain by 33%, though exact mechanism is not still understood.

Dietary carotenoids like beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin are reported to be effective in lowering the risk of developing arthritis while lutein and lycopene do not show any positive effect. Yellow and orange colored fruits, invariably are rich sources of cryptoxanthin and they include yellow apples, apricots, cantaloupes, yellow figs, grape fruit, orange, pineapple, pumpkin, yellow squash and sweet corn. Peppers contain 16876 microgram (ug) of this phytochemical per 200 kC serving while pumpkin has 16506 ug, winter squash 15583 ug, tangerine 2719 ug, papaya 3901 ug and persimmon 4135 ug. In general there is a belief that regular consumption of foods like corn, wheat, cow's milk, pork, oats, rye,eggs, beef, malt, cheese, tomato, peanuts and soybean. can precipitate arthritis in vulnerable people predisposed to this disease. Solanin present in tomato is a possible triggering agent for joint pains while potato, egg plant and pepper belonging to the solanum family can also exert same effect.

The classical studies in John Hopkins University have shown how phytochemicals derived from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli can control inflammation of the joints due to arthritis. Cells that line the blood vessels are stressed by liquid moving along their surface, called shear stress and it is found to be harmful to the joints as it causes increased COX-2 enzyme manifestation triggering inflammation and pain. Phase-2 enzyme activity is consequently suppressed causing death of chondrocytic cells. Healthy chondrcytes are responsible for smooth functioning of joints. When these cells die, the result is arthritis. The beneficial effect of vegetables and fruits is no more a conjecture and faster one switches over to a diet rich in assorted types of these health protecting natural foods, better will be the chances for survival against such deadly diseases like arthritis, asthma, cancer, CVD, viral diseases, GI related afflictions and other risks in day to day life. We can ignore this message at our own peril!

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/