Ginger Eases Arthritis Pain

Well known for its medicinal value, ginger could be an effective treatment for arthritis, a study has shown. A pill containing extracts of the root spice has proved to be as effective as conventional painkillers in a clinical trial. Rheumatologist Professor Ray Altman, who led the study, believes the highly-concentrated supplement could help to reduce the pain suffered by two out of three people with arthritis.



Arthritis Research Campaign

He tested the supplement on 250 people with osteoarthritis, the most common form of the condition. Each was suffering from moderate to severe pain. Over a six week period, some were given a 255 milligram dose of the dietary supplement twice a day. The rest were given a placebo. Two-thirds of those given the ginger pills reported relief from pain - significantly more than those taking the placebo. Bigger improvements The ginger group also reported bigger improvements in their levels of pain. Professor Altman, who is based at the University of Miami Medical School, said: "The effect is similar to that seen with trials using conventional drugs." Arthritis is usually treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. But these can be associated with severe side effects. A spokesperson for the Arthritis Research Campaign told BBC News Online that ginger was already taken by some arthritis patients for its mild anti-inflammatory effects. However, she added: "Although this study is of interest to patients, it actually showed that the beneficial effects of ginger were fairly small and inconsistent. "The study in question involved only a small number of people over a six week period, and we think a bigger trial over a much longer period of time would need to be conducted before any claims as to the reliability of the product's efficacy were taken too seriously. "There may also be side effects and interactions with other drugs which this study did not address, and the safety of the product would also need to be assessed more fully." Common condition Osteoarthritis is the commonest form of joint disease. It is generally considered to be due to "wear and tear" of the joints leading to damage of the joint surfaces which gives pain on movement. The condition is very common in older age groups, but can affect younger people too. There are many factors that influence its development, including a family history and previous damage to the joint through injury or surgery. The research is published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism


source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1665874.stm

Updated information on Spirulina !

Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids(value of Spirulina and it's rich source of GLA): Adequate supplements of essential fatty acids with both omega-6 and omega-3 types should be taken since these have an anti-inflammatory effect when taken together. One pro-inflammatory effect of some omega-6 fatty acids is the over-production of arachidonic acid. This pro-inflammatory effect is blocked by the omega-3 fatty acids, so both must be used together. The most potent anti-inflammatory, omega-3 fatty acid, is GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) which can be obtained from primrose, black currant seed, or borage oils.(new studies include Spirulina !) A suggested dose would be about 1500 mg daily of GLA from these oils. Borage oil provides the highest concentration, thereby requiring fewer capsules to be swallowed.(Spirulina is higher) This should be balanced with approximately twice as much of the omega-3 essential fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaeonoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) found in the oil from fatty fish, flaxseed oil, or perilla oil, at about 3000 mg daily. The average American diet contains ten times more linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acids) compared to alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acids). This alters the cell membrane's phospholipid content and increases the likelihood of inflammatory responses in atopic diseases, i.e., intense itching, crust formation, and excoriation. (Atopy indicates a hereditary predisposition toward hypersensitivity to environmental antigens. Such conditions include allergic rhinitis and to a lesser degree bronchial asthma, contact dermatitis, and food allergies.) A study reported by Kankaanpaa et al. (1999) concluded that careful manipulation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may play a key role in the successful management of inflammation occurring in atopic diseases. Note: Polyunsaturated fatty acids have more than one double or triple bond per molecule and are found in fish, corn, walnuts, sunflower seeds, soybeans, cottonseeds, and safflower oil. Note: Information about Spirulina is so new that most scientifc articles have not yet included this source of gamma-linolenic acid which is more effective than the above mentioned sources. http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-005.sht.