KEEPusHEALTHY

 

 

 Oh My Aching Joints!

Are you one of the millions of Americans seeking relief from sore joints or osteoarthritis?

The most common conventional form or therapy for arthritis is a painkiller. You go to your doctor, complaining of joint pain and he gives you a prescription for a painkiller drug  such as Vioxx or Celebrex, or suggests the use of NSAIDs. Unfortunately, this type of therapy merely masks the pain and does not address the underlying issue of the CAUSE OF THE PAIN.

Additionally, with prescription drugs and over-the-counter pain remedies, you are exposed to adverse side-effects. Recent evidence shows that Vioxx users were 50 percent more likely to suffer heart attacks compared to people who used other anti-inflammatory drugs. Research has shown Celebrex caused more ulcer complications than other anti-inflammatory drugs when used for more than six months at a time. Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen decrease the production of muscle proteins. And they are promoted for muscle pain???? And the list goes on.

Anti-inflammatory drugs (prescription and over-the-counter) alone cause over 16, 500 deaths and over 103,000 hospitalizations per year in the US, according to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine. (See Wolfe MM, et al. NEJM 1999;340(24):1888-99.) Most of the deaths are from bleeding, drug interactions and kidney damage and high blood pressure. The estimated cost for hospitalizations and treatment for these problems exceeds $2 billion annually.

To compound the problem, people who have been on pain meds for a prolonged period of time find that the drugs become less effective, become habituating or cause other serious problems. Consequently, in the last few years, many widely-used inflammatory agents have been less frequently used, with some drugs being removed from the marketplace.

Many people have turned to supplements that both alleviate pain and improve the structure of osteoarthritic joints such as glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid and ASU. Amazingly, these substances, used by millions of people worldwide, have not been associated with a single death or hospitalization. They can also reduce or eliminate the need for anti-inflammatory drugs, without causing ulcers, high blood pressure or deaths!

Glucosamine Sulphate / Chondroitin Sulphate

• provide the raw materials the body uses to manufacture complex molecules called proteoglycans, the building blocks of joint tissue
• Chondroitin is a molecule naturally present in cartilage - gives cartilage elasticity and is believed to prevent the destruction of cartilage by enzymes

Hyaluronic Acid

• a major constituent of cartilage
• provides structure and holds water and nutrients

MSN

• provides sulphur, a vital building block of joints and cartilage

Avocado/Soy Unsaponifiables

Avocado/soy unsaponifiables (ASU) is a special ingredient developed in France for the treatment of symptoms associated with arthritis and other joint conditions.  The term “unsaponifiables” is simply a chemical term that means “the part you can’t make soap from.” What is relevant about this material is that it is a highly refined extract of avocados and soy that you could not get simply by eating more of these foods and it has been shown to have some remarkable qualities in relation to benefits for joint tissue.

Scientific studies have shown that ASU can:

• Stimulate the production of “growth factors” (e.g. transforming growth factor-B) in cartilage cells which help bring about cartilage repair
• Stimulate synthesis of both the protein (collagen) and non-protein (aggrecan) components of joint tissue
• Inhibit the production of chemicals (e.g. interleukins, metalloproteinases) involved in the destruction of joint tissue
• Significantly reduce pain and symptom scores in patients with arthritis
• Significantly reduce the need for analgesic medications to relieve pain associated with arthritis

Aside from glucosamine, very few substances have the depth of scientific support that ASU has. A recent study concluded that ASU is the only plant-based natural remedy shown to have benefits for OA. It is a relatively novel ingredient, not currently found in many products, that is gaining momentum in the marketplace both domestically and abroad.

Product Quality

if you decide to give these ingredients a try, it is vital that you choose a high-quality product. Many of the products on the market are substandard. In three different tests of a number of different brands, as many as nine out of ten were shown to be skimping on important ingredients. It’s like paying for steak and getting cardboard instead. Select a product that is reliable – one you can depend upon to actually contain the ingredients listed on the label – one that contains pharmaceutical grade nutrients.

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Contact us: lorraine@keepushealthy.com