Health News (Week 27 – 2014)
By Robert Redfern

Chronic Inflammation and Joint Pain

The most frequently ‘asked’ questions that I have received over the last 25 years or so have been from readers of my newsletter, especially those suffering from chronic inflammation and joint pain.

Twenty-five years ago it was only HealthPoint I offered and although the results were awesome, in the toughest cases, I realized that certain critical nutrients and a healthy lifestyle were essential for improving health and relieving many problems.

I have recommended these solutions below many times but thought I would reinforce them again with a list of studies that have convinced me just how good they are.

The following studies show just how effectively these nutrients may significantly help improve your condition and symptoms:

1. Krill Oil – 300mg per day can significantly reduce joint pain, stiffness and C-reactive protein (CRP is a measure of inflammation). In one women’s study, pain, stiffness and function impairment were measured and shown to significantly improve.

(ref: Deutsch L. Evaluation of the effect of Neptune Krill Oil on chronic inflammation and arthritic symptoms. J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Feb;26(1):39-48)

In a separate study of Krill Oil combined with Hyaluronic Acid and Astaxanthin (both of which target pro-inflammatory agents in the body), arthritis patients reported a 55% pain reduction in under 3 months, with 63% being entirely pain-free.

(Valensa. MD Clinical Trial Overview and Results. 2011)

2. Fish Oil – This lowers levels of inflammatory cytokines throughout the body. It also provides major cardiovascular benefits. The high levels of DHA and EPA in fish oil provides excellent benefits for heart, eye and brain health.

Krill Oil may be superior at protecting joint cartilage from inflammatory damage, while fish oils are better at suppressing the circulating inflammatory cytokines that cause cardiovascular disease.

Ref: Kalogeropoulos N, Panagiotakos DB, Pitsavos C, et al. Unsaturated fatty acids are inversely associated and n-6/n-3 ratios are positively related to inflammation and coagulation markers in plasma of apparently healthy adults. Clin Chim Acta. 2010 Apr 2;411(7-8):584-91.

Ierna M, Kerr A, Scales H, Berge K, Griinari M. Supplementation of diet with Krill Oil protects against experimental rheumatoid arthritis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2010;11:136.

3. Astaxanthin – This is a powerful antioxidant and natural anti-inflammatory agent. It is widely studied for its beneficial effects on chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.

Yuan JP, Peng J, Yin K, Wang JH. Potential health-promoting effects of Astaxanthin: a high-value carotenoid mostly from microalgae. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2011 Jan;55(1):150-65.

Nakao R, Nelson OL, Park JS, Mathison BD, Thompson PA, Chew BP. Effect of Astaxanthin supplementation on inflammation and cardiac function in BALB/c mice. Anticancer Res. 2010 Jul;30(7):2721-5.

4. Hyaluronic Acid – is a naturally occurring polysaccharide that is a major component of joint and connective tissue. In joints, its natural function is to lubricate and cushion the joint lining from repeated impacts and microscopic trauma. It is also involved in wound repair and regeneration. Hyaluronic Acid helps stop joint degradation and slows the painful and destructive progress of arthritis.

(Campo GM, Avenoso A, Nastasi G, et al. Hyaluronan reduces inflammation in experimental arthritis by modulating TLR-2 and TLR-4 cartilage expression. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2011 Sep;1812(9):1170-81)

Due to the large size of the Hyaluronic Acid molecule, it is best absorbed through the intake of Krill Oil.

Additionally, I cannot help mentioning that the nutrients above have significant benefits for supporting healthy vision including Fish Oil (this helps with macular degeneration prevention and overall eye health), Krill Oil (overall eye health), Astaxanthin (reduced inflammation) and Hyaluronic Acid (this may help strengthen the Vitreous Gel and related connective tissue).

Click here for more information on nutrients and their vision benefits

Traditionally it was thought that joint conditions such as Osteoarthritis were due to normal wear and tear. Better research now shows what nutritionists have said ‘forever’ that much of the damage over time is due to the body’s natural healing response to injury and diet. Unnatural proteins lodging in the joint create an acute inflammatory response from the body, which then becomes chronic.

Note: Although the above specifically refers to Osteoarthritis, it should also apply to other chronic inflammatory joint diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis where the body creates a loop of reacting to joint damage by creating an infection response (also called an Auto-immune response). Eating the same unnatural diet then leads to more joint damage.

An anti-inflammatory natural foods diet is recommended and this is primarily made up of alkalizing foods (such as avocado, lime, green, leafy green vegetables and low sugar fruits).

Avoid acidic foods including breads, potatoes, white rice, pasta, grain fed meats and most unnaturally produced dairy products. Also, avoid unhealthy oils including margarines, trans-fatty acids, overheated oil, corn oil and vegetable oils.