Relieve aching joints with a diet makeover

[Guest guest]

Relieve aching joints with a diet makeover JoAnn Guest May 29, 2005 16:17

PDT

 

Healing With Dr. Andrew Weil

 

Natural Medicine for Arthritis

Relieve aching joints with a diet makeover

Andrew Weil, MD

 

 

http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-1-111-302-2607-1,00.html

 

 

The hottest topic in medicine these days is inflammation, because it's

now believed to underlie heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke.

 

That it's also the cause of such painful conditions as arthritis,

bursitis, and tendonitis isn't news, but here's something shocking that

is: A 2003 study revealed that 70 million people--that's one in three

Americans--have arthritis or chronic joint symptoms. That's why I

believe that understanding inflammation and learning how to keep it at

bay will be one of the great public health challenges we will continue

to face in the 21st century.

 

Red-Hot Pain Trigger

Inflammation is a key component of the body's healing response, marked

by pain, swelling, warmth, and redness. It's the body's way of getting

more blood and immune cells to an injured area. When inflammation is

confined to where it's needed for an appropriate length of time, no

problem. But when it persists or becomes too intense, it can cause

disabling symptoms and tissue damage.

 

Here's the science: The body tightly controls inflammation via

substances called prostaglandins, which are synthesized from essential

fatty acids. They're involved in maintaining the complex chain of

chemical reactions that keep us alive and functioning. When this

delicate internal ballet goes awry (as it can when your diet contains

too many of the wrong fatty foods, for example), prostaglandins can

precipitate inflammation and even make you more susceptible to pain.

 

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including

over-the-counter aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen, and the prescription

drug celecoxib (Celebrex), effectively target inflammation and relieve

pain. But there's a downside. They have significant side effects,

especially stomach irritation. That can lead to potentially deadly

gastrointestinal complications. (The manufacturers of the prescription

NSAID rofecoxib, or Vioxx, removed the drug from the market in September

2004 when a study linked it to an increased risk of heart attack and

stroke.)

 

Herbal anti-inflammatories work the same way and have few side effects.

However, herbs work much slower than fast-acting NSAIDs: It will take up

to 8 weeks of continuous use before you'll feel their effects.

 

Spicy, Pain-Soothing Herbs

The most studied of the anti-inflammatory herbs are ginger and turmeric.

Known for centuries to practitioners, these two herbs are currently

undergoing clinical trials at the University of Arizona's National

Center for Phytomedicine Research in the College of Pharmacy.

 

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is probably best known for its ability to

ease motion and morning sickness as well as drug-induced and

postoperative nausea. In a double-blind clinical trial, ginger extract

reduced knee pain caused by osteoarthritis.

 

Turmeric (Curcuma longa), a plant related to ginger, is the herb that

gives curry its brassy golden color. Turmeric is proven to have

anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor properties. In one animal

trial, a turmeric compound was almost as potent as cortisone in treating

acute inflammation.

 

You could use ginger and turmeric in cooking, but it would mean

consuming a lot of both herbs on a daily basis. That's not practical for

most of us. So I usually recommend using them as supplements. A good

supplement to try is Zyflamend from New Chapter, available at most

health food stores. It combines ginger and turmeric with other

anti-inflammatory herbs and gives good results.

 

Ease Up on Achy Foods

If your diet is heavy on processed foods and fast foods and light on

fruits and vegetables, you're not doing your arthritis pain any favor.

 

 

Diets that promote inflammation are high in omega-6 fatty acids (found

in many vegetable oils) and in partially hydrogenated fats in stick

margarines and solid-at-room-temperature shortenings, fried foods, most

chips, and store-bought baked goods.

 

Anti-pain diets are high in omega-3 fatty acids, found in alaskan salmon,

sardines in water, and other oily fish; walnuts, organic flax, and organic soy;

and in

monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, raw nuts, and avocados. The

antioxidants in fruits and vegetables are also an absolutely essential

part of a pain-free program.

 

If you have osteoarthritis, be sure to take 1,500 mg of glucosamine

daily. Consistently used, it may help rebuild cartilage and prevent

further damage.

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html