I was just reading the article "Can Diet or Supplements relieve your Arthritis aches and Inflammation" assigned for this week. It talks about the various dietary supplements that Arthritis patients take in order to ease some of the symptoms of Arthritis: pain, aches, stiffness and swelling around the joints. Arthritis patients have an overactive immune system which leads to the breakdown of the tissues (commonly around the joints) causing pain and swelling and there are many forms of Arthritis; the two most common ones are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is due to the influence of the immune system that people are looking at dietary supplements as a way of relieving arthritis symptoms. Vitamins, minerals and omega-3 FA from fish oils are some of the supplements taken by arthritis sufferers. While some of these supplements offer some benefits, others have no effect at all.
Supplements containing high quantity of copper, zinc or alfalfa and low-fat/low-calorie/low-protein diets are not recommended by the Arthritis Foundation as an alternative way of relieving the symptoms because it cuts out an entire food group that helps maintain a healthy weight, which is an important part of managing arthritis. One study have found that allergy to shellfish can trigger an RA-like symptoms in some people (I went on the Mayo clinic website and found that Glucosamine, commonly used by OA patients, are found in the covering of shellfish and it doesn't appear to cause an allergic reaction to some people allergic to shellfish. It looks like an effective way of relieving arthritis but more studies still need to be done in order to determine whether it is safe or not for arthritis patients who are allergic to shellfish). Low intake of Vit. D is also associated to both OA and RA. According to Dr. Louise Gagne at the University of Saskatchewan, OA sufferers intake of Vit. D is only 20% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for older people (51-70 y.o.).
There seem to be conflicting evidence (or not enough studies) to support the effectiveness of some of these supplements/diets. But it looks like having a well-balanced diet, eating right and maintaining a healthy weight is one way of reducing arthritis symptoms (such is recommended by the Arthritis Foundation and EN).
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That's the thing with all these supplements, they just make claims that have no scientific backing. This is from the Food and Drug Administration's website concerning the regulation of dietary supplements:
"FDA regulates dietary supplements under a different set of regulations than those covering "conventional" foods and drug products (prescription and Over-the-Counter). Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), the dietary supplement manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that a dietary supplement is safe before it is marketed. FDA is responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product after it reaches the market. Generally, manufacturers do not need to register their products with FDA nor get FDA approval before producing or selling dietary supplements.* Manufacturers must make sure that product label information is truthful and not misleading" (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/supplmnt.html).
If the claim that the product is making looks too good to be true... then it usually is.
I found an article that states that phytoneutrients are thought to promote human health. Phytoneutrients are certain organic components of plats such as vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, etc. According to the article, eating more fruits and vegetables has been linked to decrease the risk of OA and Omege-3 fatty acids have been gaining more attention as a potential anti-inflammatory. The article stated that consuming 3.3g Omega 3 FA per day significantly decreased RA. Losing weight by decreasing calories and exercise has been known to improve function in people with arthritis.
Thanks for the blog. I read in some other blog related to this topic, that the food we eat has a lot to do with the way our body works. It is a known fact that good nutrition, with plenty of regular exercise can keep your bones and joints healthy, and help reduce joint ache and stiffness. Osteoporosis is very common now and doctors often recommend a good calcium supplement especially to those over 40, like PowerCal600 which contains bone-density building calcium and magnesium. http://www.newvitality.com/shop/powercal-600.aspx.
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