Discover Supplements » Bone & Joint Health

It’s confirmed, cod liver oil relieves arthritis

yuming — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:32:03 +0000

We’ve got yet another great piece of news about joint health: cod liver oil. For a long time, supplement junkies have known that this stuff is good for brain development, increasing energy levels, lowering depression, and promoting heart health.

But now the focus is on its use for easing arthritic pain. Dietary supplement companies have been promoting this Omega-3 essential fatty acid-rich supplement for the past few years to seniors, but to have some scientific basis to this claim reinforces how valuable it is.

A recent study has confirmed that cod liver oil can reduce arthritic anti-inflammatory drug intake by 30 per cent in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Anti-inflammatory drugs that are traditionally used to treat arthritis may take away the pain, but with long term use, there are always side effects, like high blood pressure and an increased risk in suffering from a heart attack, to contend with.

These risks have led doctors to prescribe with caution and would only let patients use these drugs for short periods of time. However, the constant pain forces patients to keep taking such pills.

This promising new evidence gives hope to sufferers who can balance out their prescriptive medication with natural pain management.

Mineral supplements ease joint pain

yuming — Wed, 21 May 2008 02:36:17 +0000

Glucosamine has become a common alternative to those suffering from degenerative joint disease, Osteoarthritis (OA), but is the subject of serious debate whether it truly works or not.

OA is a slow, destructive joint disease, that affects millions of people all over the world. The exact cause of the condition is unknown but the degeneration starts when the joints face unusually high stress and then the secondary inflammation sets in with continued pressure on the area.

Recent findings have shown that perhaps yet another pain reliever could come in the shape of seaweed.

Using rats in test trials, a study showed that a lack of magnesium in their diets reflected an increased amount of cartilage damage. By upping the levels of magnesium, the inflammation is reduced. Other trace elements like copper, zinc, selenium, boron and manganese also aid in diminishing the symptoms of OA.

This research was designed to see if seaweed-derived multi-mineral supplement, Aquamin, could alleviate OA symptoms. Aquamin comes from a red algae that is rich in calcium, magnesium and a variety of other trace minerals.

Yak cheese better for your heart

yuming — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:30:57 +0000

Ever since we discovered the secret to longevity could be donkey’s milk, the hunt has been on for healthier alternatives to cow’s milk. The latest buzzwords in the food industry are yak cheese.

A new research study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that yak’s milk contains more polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than Canadian cheddar cheese manufactured from cow’s milk.

The higher ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids found in yak’s cheese means that it could be possibly be categorized as a healthy food in human diets, according to the researchers from the University of Guelph (Canada), the Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources in Kathmandu, and Kantipur City College in Kathmandu.

Previous separate studies have proven that omega-3 to omega-6 ratio in foods has a direct link to improved health.

Native to the Himalayas and Tibet, Yak’s cheese is still considered a gourmet specialty that is hard to find, though it is available in America and Europe.

The researchers suggest that yaks, which graze on pristine pastures, have a healthier fatty acid composition, compared to grain-fed cows in the West.

The ratio of the omega fatty acids found in yak’s cheese is four times more than that in Canadian cheddar cheese.

The benefits of consuming such fatty acids include bone health, weight maintenance and cancer prevention.