Healthy Aging Naturally,
Providing Juice for the Joints
By: Karlene Karst, Dietician
Source: Health N Vitality Magazine
Date Published: July 2003
Aging Process
We live in an aging population.
By 2020, the proportion of the population aged 60 and over is projected
to reach: 23% in North America, 17% in East Asia, 12% in Latin America
and 10% in South Asia. Europe will retain it's title of "oldest"
region in the world. By 2020, 25% of Europe will be over age 60. Although
it is inevitable that we will age, a question often asked is how can
we age healthily?
Normal aging represents
the universal biological changes that occur with getting older. The
World Health Organization has said, "the process of aging is strongly
influenced by the effects of environmental, lifestyle and disease states
that in turn, are related to or change with aging but are not due to
aging itself." Successful aging can be defined as the ability to
maintain low risk of disease and disease related disability, high mental
and physical function and active engagement with life.
Nutrition plays a major role
in determining our state of health and our susceptibility to many diseases.
By improving nutritional practices, many diseases could be potentially
delayed including, arthritis, osteoporosis, cardiovacular disease, and
stroke, thus saving billions of dollars in annual health care costs.
Nutrients such as multivitamins, B vitamins including folic acid, antioxidants
including vitamin C and vitamin E, calcium and vitamin D, and essential
fatty acids (EFAs) have the potential for improving health and delaying
the onset of many age related diseases.
Arthritis- EFAs can Help!
The Centre for Disease Control
in Atlanta, Georgia released the results of a new study showing that
70 million (or one in three) Americans suffer from arthritis. More than
four million Canadians live with this disease that can lead to disability,
deformity and even death. While arthritis can affect people of any age,
there seems to be a connection to the aging process.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis affects
60-65% of people over age 65, and with the aging baby boomers, this
population is expected to grow 30-50% over the next 20 years. Osteoarthritis
is really the case of too much stress on a normal joint or normal stress
on a damaged joint. People whose jobs require them to put strain on
the joints, athletes or people with excess weight are at higher risk
of developing osteoarthritis. Obese people are twice as likely as people
with normal weight to suffer from osteoarthritis. There is a range of
pain involved from mild to severe and disabling.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
The second most prevalent
type of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, is an autoimmune disease. The
body's immune system forms antibodies that attack the synovial membranes
and the fluid that lubricates the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can progress
gradually but in 25% of sufferers it will hit hard and fast. Rheumatoid
arthritis shares similar symptoms with osteoarthritisŃswollen joints
and stiffness or pain that is more apparent in the morning.
Causes of Arthritis
Osteoarthritis is present
in 70% of the elderly; however, it is not completely inevitable or unavoidable.
Other factors come into play and if they are addressed, osteoarthritis
may never arise. Guard against repetitive use or damage to joints due
to occupation, injury or athletics. Poor nutrition, dehydration and
environmental or food allergies can aggravate osteoarthritis progression.
Excess weight puts even more strain on the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis
is suspected to have a number of potential causes that include heredity
and obesity, but may also be a result of bacterial or viral infection,
an overactive immune system, vaccines, nutritional deficiencies and
stress-induced hormonal disruption.
Conventional Treatment
Options:
Arthritis Drug Dangers
Present
conventional treatments aim to reduce or alleviate the pain and inflammation
of the affected joints and improve mobility. These treatments include
analgesics, salicylates, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),
corticosteroids and reconstructive surgery. The most widely prescribed
are NSAIDs, ranging from ASA (Aspirin, Entrophen, Novasen) to ibuprofen
(Motrin). These drugs are associated with a large number of side-effects,
such as gastric ulcers (salicylates, NSAIDs), renal failure (NSAIDs)
and immunosuppression (corticosteroids).
A new family of NSAIDs called
COX-2 inhibitors (Celebrex and Vioxx) work by attacking inflammation
(they block the COX-2 enzyme that produces bad prostaglandins). The
COX-2 inhibitors were initially believed to be much safer than standard
NSAIDS, yet long-term use and research are showing some serious concerns.
Health Canada issued a warning advisory in 2002 for Celebrex, stating
that hundreds of serious adverse reactions have been reported with nearly
70 cases of stomach bleeding and 10 deaths since its release in 1999.
Natural Treatment Options:
Juice for the Joints
Research
demonstrates that essential fatty acids affect levels of pain mediators
and suggests that EFA supplementation may be potentially useful in decreasing
the pain associated with arthritis, by working in a similar way to NSAIDs.
Thus, through slowing destruction and damage to cartilage and joints,
decreasing inflammation and preventing inflammatory-induced destructive
processes from occurring, and possibly affecting levels of pain mediators,
EFA supplementation can help chronic inflammatory degenerative diseases
of joints.
Marya Zilberberg reports
that gamma linolenic acid (GLA, found in borage and evening primrose
oil) is not only safe, but it is also an effective natural therapy.
In her review of close to 40 clinical papers on GLA, Zilberberg noted
that GLA consistently reduces inflammation and joint stiffness without
any of the serious side-effects associated with pharmaceutical drugs.
"We saw about a 60-65% reduction in morning stiffness for these
patients," said Zilberg. "In other words if you have two hours
of morning stiffness, there is a 1.5 hour reduction compared to a 6.7
minute reduction with a placebo. It is an extremely striking difference."
These results demonstrate the importance of long-term supplementation
with large doses of GLA from borage or evening primrose oil for osteoarthritis
and rheumatoid arthritis.
GLA Reduces the Use of
NSAIDs
Supplementing
with GLA not only results in a decrease in the clinical symptoms of
RA, but taking GLA can reduce the effects of NSAIDs by repairing damage
to the stomach lining. Studies show that GLA protects the stomach lining
against gastric acid that could cause stomach ulcers due to repeated
or overuse of NSAIDs.
For example, as early as
1988, researchers confirmed that daily supplementation with 540 mg of
GLA from evening primrose oil could help patients reduce their usage
of NSAIDs and therefore protect their stomach lining. At the beginning
of the study, 100% of patients were on their full NSAID dosage; after
three months of supplementing with evening primrose oil, 70% of patients
were still taking NSAIDs, and after six months only 30% of patients
were still taking NSAID at full dosage. This is a remarkable 70% reduction
in patients using NSAIDs.
GLA Reduces Symptoms
In 1993, researchers
at the University of Pennsylvania conducted a randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled, 24-week trial with 37 rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Patients in the treatment group received 1.4 g of GLA from borage oil
daily, and assessed their symptoms on a daily basis. Treatment with
borage oil reduced the number of tender joints by 36%, the tender joint
score by 45%, the number of swollen joints by 28%, and the swollen joint
score by 41%, whereas the placebo group did not show significant improvement
in any measure. The researchers concluded that "Borage oil, in
the doses used in this study, is a well-tolerated and effective treatment
for rheumatoid arthritis."
Start with two 1,000mg capsules
of borage or four 1,000 mg capsules of evening primrose oil with your
meal. Increase the number of capsules up to ten per day to achieve relief
of symptoms. Some will need as little as 2,000 mg per day for relief
and others will require higher doses. If diarrhea occurs, reduce dose.
Reduction of symptoms may
be observed after one month of supplementation. The full effects of
GLA supplementation are seen over longer periods. Studies have shown
that borage oil and evening primrose oil are safe and non-toxic, even
in large amounts.
Fishing for Joint Health
The first scientific
paper describing the use of fish oil for rheumatoid arthritis was published
in the 18th century. Since then, laboratory and clinical studies have
revealed the beneficial effects of fish oil in various forms of arthritis.
The benefits were attributed to the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.
EPA and DHA reduce the formation
of bad prostaglandins and regulate immune factor production, which controls
how long, how fast and how much the immune system acts or reacts. EPA
produces the anti-inflammatory prostaglandins (good guys). Fish oils
improve joint mobility and reduce the severity of pain and inflammation
without any short- or long-term side-effects.
A 1998 review of the research
confirmed the beneficial effects of fish oil in arthritis. Fish oil,
like GLA, reduces symptoms of arthritis, such as pain, number of affected
joints and morning stiffness, in a dose dependent manner. Clinical benefits
were seen after twelve weeks, with a dosage of 3 g of EPA and DHA per
day. Due to the relatively high doses required to obtain clinical improvements,
a concentrated fish oil supplement would be recommended.
Just like GLA, it also appears
that fish oil will help arthritis sufferers reduce the amount of NSAIDs
needed, and some may even be able to discontinue usage completely.
Some research has studied
the usage of EPA and GLA together and their impact on reducing pro-inflammatory
substances. A study at Wake Forest University School of Medicine found
that patients supplementing with a combination EPA and GLA reduced production
of pro-inflammatory substances.
A healthy balance between
omega-3s and omega-6s is important to reduce the production of inflammatory
immune factors. A combination of EPA and DHA up to 3 g is recommended
to reduce pain and inflammation. This would be the equivalent of ten
1,000 mg capsules of a natural fish 18/12 supplement or six 1,000 mg
capsules of a concentrated 30/20 fish oil supplement.
EFAs Help Age Naturally
Although arthritis is a condition
that we may face as we age, there are natural options such as EFAs that
can help ease the pain and suffering, improve quality of life, and improve
mental and physical wellbeing. A healthy lifestyle including exercise,
relaxation therapies and a nutritious diet rich in essential fatty acids,
will help provide the juice our joints crave!
For more information, or
references for this article, please contact Karlene Karst at kkarst@bioriginal.com
About Karlene Karst
Karlene Karst is the clinical
research and education coordinator at Bioriginal Food and Science Corp.
She provides technical and regulatory advice on EFAs, as well as educational
seminars, lectures and presentations on the role of EFAs in nutrition
and health. Karlene holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition
from the University of Saskatchewan's College of Pharmacy and Nutrition.
She is also a registered dietitian and has previously worked as a clinical
dietitian.
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