Inflammation
Should you use anti-inflammatory supplements?
Inflammation can cause many issues in our body from poor gut health and indigestion to joint pain. As we age we become more aware of joint health, often because we start experiencing joint pain. There are a number of joint health and pain relief products available on the market today, including ones I've personally used - glucosamine and chondroitin supplements. Glucosamine and/or chondroitin are advertised as joint health supplements that can improve joint health and reduce joint pain. I recently viewed a major study that was conducted on the supplements' effectiveness. The information I found might surprise you.
The University of Utah, School of Medicine put together the Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial or "GAIT" trial. The trial was conducted at 16 rheumatology research centers across the US and included 1,583 participants in the study. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), two components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), funded GAIT at a cost of just over $12.5 million.
The GAIT Trial studied 5 groups over 24 months to test the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin in comparison to Celecoxib, which is a prescription drug effective in managing osteoarthritis pain. The groups included (1) placebo, (2) celecoxib, (3) glucosamine, (4) chondroitin, and (5) both glucosamine and chondroitin together.
The findings of the study revealed that those with mild joint pain saw no difference as compared to the placebo when taking glucosamine, chondroitin, or a mix of the two. There were some preliminary findings that showed those with moderate to high joint pain using a mix of glucosamine and chondroitin did have a higher rating of pain relief than those taking the placebo. The results state that there needs to be more testing to confirm this result.
If you are considering using supplements to help with joint pain, be sure to talk with your doctor before spending money on a supplement that might not work.
In the meantime, start focusing on increasing anti-inflammatory foods and decreasing inflammatory foods in your diet. Go to the link below to see 10 anti-inflammatory foods, a video on those foods, and a breakdown of each food and why that food is great for you.
Controlling joint pain can be done in more ways than with just diet or medications. Low impact exercise can be a great way to reduce joint pain, improve bone health, improve weight loss (less body weight is easier on your joints), and strengthen the muscles supporting your joints. Exercise accompanied with a proper warm up and cool down period can really make a difference in your quality of life
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