Guest Post: Natural Alternatives for Arthritis Treatment

Glucosamine is also found in seashells. (Photo by DavidRPhoto)

Guest post by Emily Matthews

Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate have long been used as supplements to ease the pain of arthritis. Both compounds are found naturally in animal cartilage and glucosamine can also be found in seashells. A person who wishes to increase the amount of glucosamine and chondroitin in their diet should take them together as supplements, but only from a reputable manufacturer of vitamins and supplements. Medical professionals are uncertain as to the dosage for the average person.

Chondroitin

Chondroitin is a more complex molecule than glucosamine. It's made up of intact or hydrolyzed glycosaminoglycans with attached sugar molecules. Studies from masters degree programs show that it’s not as effective as glucosamine in treating arthritis, as the body doesn’t absorb as much of it; chondroitin is such a large molecule that it's difficult to pass through the normal intestinal barrier. The benefit of chondroitin comes because at least some of it can be broken down into glucosamine in the digestive track.

Glucosamine

Glucosamine is a simple molecule made up of glucose and an amine, which is a building lock of protein. The main effect of glucosamine is to stimulate the creation of glycosaminoglycans, which helps cartilage remain spongelike and act as a cushion between joints. As some people age, their bodies lose the ability to manufacture glucosamine and so the cushioning effect of cartilage is lost. Some studies claim that glucosamine supplements are more effective than placebos or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in easing arthritis pain

GAIT Trials

In a recent study, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine conducted the Glucosamine Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial, or GAIT to see if glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate gave any benefits in the treatment of arthritis of the knee. The study was conducted to see if the supplements, used alone or separately, eased the pain of 1583 sufferers of this form of arthritis.

In GAIT, the people who participated in the double blind trial took glucosamine alone, chondroitin sulfate alone, the two supplements together, the prescription drug celecoxib, or a placebo. The results of the trial were that celecoxib significantly reduced the pain of knee arthritis and that glucosamine and chondroitin, taken alone or separately, were no better than the placebo in reducing pain. However, there was a small group of participants with what they described as "moderate to severe pain" who found that the glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate combination reduced their pain significantly.

The efficacy of glucosamine and chondroitin in treating arthritis is uncertain. Glucosamine seems to provide some relief for some arthritis sufferers. Chondroitin is too large a molecule to be absorbed by the body in any appreciable amount. If the glucosamine and chondroitin combination works for some people, it’s probably because enough chondroitin is broken down to increase the effect of the glucosamine.

Emily Matthews is currently applying to masters degree programs across the U.S., and loves to read about new research into health care, gender issues, and literature. She lives and writes in Seattle, Washington.

For more information on glucosamine, chondroitin and arthritis, see these posts:

Green Tea Protects Cartilage from Arthritis in Vitro
Green Tea Protects from Arthritis in Rats
MSM + Chondroitin + Glucosamine for Hair & Nail Growth - Results after Seven Weeks
MSM + Chondroitin + Glucosamine: A Sulfur Cocktail for Hair and Nails

Read More......

Topical vs. Oral Antioxidants for Sun Protection – Which Is Better?

Eating the right foods can protect your skin from the sun. (Photo by Extra Medium)

While studies on antioxidants are generally pretty disappointing when it comes to life extension, they do have some use as anti-aging treatments for the skin.

While all or most antioxidants appear to protect from the harmful effects of the sun, some antioxidants are more effective than others. Carotenoids are a case in point. One example is lycopene, which is found in tomatoes. For example, one study showed that people who ate tomato paste daily had 33% more protection against sunburn compared to the control group.

Among carotenoids, lutein seems to give the best bang for the buck. In addition to photo-protection, lutein increases skin hydration and lipid levels while reducing lipid peroxidation.

But is it better to use antioxidants topically or orally? Some folks swear by their skin creams, while others maintain that eating the right foods is the best way to improve the skin. In the lutein study, the combination of taking a lutein supplement and using a lutein cream gave the best results. Not all that surprising – by using topical and oral treatments you're covering both grounds and playing it safe, after all.

However, a recent paper got me thinking whether "attacking the problem from all angles" is really the best way to go at it. The study looked at carotenoid levels in the skin after using carotenoids topically and systemically (link). 129 healthy women, aged between 21 and 72 years, were divided into seven different groups and given topical creams, oral supplements, both, or a placebo.

The first cream contained a basic mixture of antioxidants from sources such as vitamin E, vitamin C and green tea. The second cream contained the same antioxidant mix complemented by beta-carotene and lycopene. Similarly, the first supplement contained antioxidants from sources like green tea, green coffee, and pongamia pinnata seeds, while the second also contained carotenoids.

The placebo treatments did not increase carotenoid concentration in the skin, while the carotenoid cream increased it by 30% in the forehead and 35% in the cheek. That's not bad – until you look at the results in those subjects who used the tablets instead. Taking the antioxidant supplement containing carotenoids resulted in an 80% increase in the forehead and 70% in the cheek after just four weeks.

The interesting part is the group who used both the cream and the supplements. After four weeks, the results were similar to the group using only the supplement, with the supplement-only group actually scoring better in some areas. After eight weeks the group using both treatments saw the best results.

However, whereas the effect from using the cream lasted for only 10 days after stopping treatment, the results from taking the supplement were sustained for up to 5 weeks. The authors also point out that "surprisingly, the combined application of both tablets and creams containing carotenoids did not reach the satisfying result obtained with the application of tablets only".

The result is indeed unexpected, since using the antioxidant + carotenoid cream along with the antioxidant + carotenoid supplement did in fact yield the largest carotenoid concentration. However, using the antioxidant + no carotenoids cream together with the antioxidant + carotenoid supplement gave worse results than skipping the cream altogether. That is, using the cream somehow negated some of the benefits of the supplement.

According to the authors, it's possible that systemically applied antioxidants are absorbed and transported onto the skin surface with sweat and sebum and that applying a cream won't increase the concentration any further. This is because the strateum corneum, the outermost layer of the epidermis, acts as a reservoir for topically applied substances.

Hence, when you apply a skin cream, it penetrates into this layer and saturates the reservoir, which makes it impossible for systemically absorbed antioxidants to penetrate into the same layer through sweat and sebum. The authors state that compared to taking only an oral supplement, taking a supplement and applying a cream results in a lower carotenoid concentration.

To avoid this problem, the authors suggest that the formulation of the topical cream should be such that it does not saturate the reservoir and prevent the oral antioxidants from being transported into the skin. In effect, they advise against using lipid-rich formulations.

Many people seem to have seen good results in photo-protection from using oral supplements only. While combining it with topical creams may potentially give the optimal result, this study suggests that finding the right kind of product is important.

For more information on skin care, see these posts:

Tretinoin Results After a Year – Experiment Update
BioSil, JarroSil & Beer – Silicon Experiment Conclusion
Topical Vitamin C for Skin: Re-examining the Case
How to Get Natural Sun Protection by Eating the Right Foods

Read More......

Kudzu Is an Anti-Androgen and Hair Growth Promoter

Kudzu will grow over anything in its path. (Photo by jjjj56cp)

In traditional Chinese Medicine, kudzu – a quick-growing vine native to China and Japan – is commonly used to treat alcoholism and hangover. This may be due to its potential to increase blood levels of alcohol when taken with an alcoholic beverage. Indeed, at least one study found that giving kudzu to heavy drinkers resulted in lower alcohol consumption (link).

The name kudzu encompasses at least five different species of the plant genus Pueraria. While all of them have very similar properties and are can be used for their medicinal purposes, the most often mentioned species are Pueraria lobata and Pueraria thomsonii. The various species contain a significant amount of isoflavones, which may at least partly be behind their use as a treatment for alcoholism.

Isoflavones, however, also have other uses. Because of their slight estrogenic effect, isoflavones from sources such as soy have been studied as a cure for hair loss. The idea is that isoflavones can inhibit 5-alpha-reductase, which converts testosterone into DHT. Since DHT binds to androgen receptors more potently than testosterone, DHT is a major cause of hair loss in genetically predisposed individuals.

Although the root part of the plant is often used, a recent study showed that the flowers of Pueraria thomsonii were much more effective in inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase than the roots of Pueraria lobata (~51% vs. ~7%). The flowers were powdered and made into a 50% ethanol extract, which was then applied onto the backs of mice after a testosterone treatment (link).

Applying the flower extract improved hair growth in a dose-dependent manner. The mice that got the largest dose (5 mg/day) after testosterone had a hair growth score similar to the control mice that were not treated with testosterone. In other words, the kudzu treatment reversed almost all of the hair loss effects of testosterone.

The authors also applied the extract on C3H/He mice without the testosterone to see whether it would promote hair growth independently of an anti-androgenic effect. The higher dose was almost as effective as minoxidil in promoting hair growth. Although the mechanism was not clear, the authors note that the flowers have been shown to have an angiogenetic effect.

Like soy, kudzu contains significant amounts of the isoflavone daidzein, daidzin and genistein. However, kudzu also contains an isoflavone called puerarin, which is not found in soy. Furthermore, Pueraria thomsonii flowers contain both soyasapones (one of the main components of soy beans) and kaikasaponins (not found in soy), making it rather unique.

I've seen a couple of soaps and shampoos that list kudzu as an ingredient, but I doubt that the amounts are large enough to truly make a difference. If you want to try kudzu topically, you might have better luck buying an extract in powder form and making your own topical. Another possibility is simply taking it orally. There is, after all, evidence that dietary isoflavones promote hair growth.

For more information on hair growth, see these posts:

Biotin Goes Back on the Menu
Soy Isoflavones and Chili Pepper for Hair Growth – Experiment Update
Topical Retinoids Increase Hair Growth in Most People
Zinc Pyrithione Reduces Shedding and Moderately Promotes Hair Growth

Read More......