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Tart cherry juice may lessen inflammation, thus reducing pain in women with osteoarthritis, according to changes noted in specific inflammatory serum biomarkers.
This study used a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial design, involving twenty women with inflammatory osteoarthritis, aged between 40 to 70 years. The participants were given 10.5 ounce bottles of tart cherry juice or a placebo cherry drink to consume twice daily for a span of 21 consecutive days. Pain was assessed at the start and the end of the intervention period. At these same junctures, blood samples were collected to monitor the influence of the juice on serum biomarkers of inflammation: C-Reactive Protein, Interleukin-6, Interleukin-10, and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha.
The results depicted that the group consuming tart cherry juice experienced a significant reduction in the serum biomarker, C-Reactive Protein, an indication of lowered inflammation. This is suggestive that tart cherry juice could be an efficient way of reducing inflammation, and subsequently, the pain experienced by women suffering from osteoarthritis.
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Almond consumption can significantly reduce the serum concentration of the inflammatory mediator, Interleukin-6, in adults but no significant effect is found on C-reactive protein.
2023 Complementary Therapies in Medicine A systematic review and meta-analysis of almond effect on C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in adults Hariri M, Amirkalali B, Baradaran HR, Gholami A
Systematic Review Almond CRP IL-6
The methodology of this study involved running an electronic search for English-language studies across several databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, SCOPUS, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane library without any time restrictions. The effect sizes on serum concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) were calculated based on the mean changes of both intervention and control groups. Assessment of the overall effects and their heterogeneity was done using the DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model. To examine the statistical heterogeneity, Cochran's Q test and I-squared statistic were utilized.
With respect to the results, among the eleven studies involved, it was observed that almond consumption did not significantly affect serum CRP level. However, a significant decrease in serum IL-6 level was reported with almond consumption. Thus, reflecting the beneficial effects of almonds with regard to reducing the serum concentration of IL-6. The results derived for serum CRP were not substantial enough to be considered significant.
Pomegranate has been confirmed to improve clinical features and reduce inflammatory, oxidative stress, and apoptosis markers in osteoarthritis.
2021 Health Promotion Perspectives Systematic review of the effects of pomegranate (Punica granatum) on osteoarthritis Malek Mahdavi A, Javadivala Z
Systematic Review Osteoarthritis
In the methodology, a systematic review was conducted using established databases like Scopus, PubMed, Embase, WOS, ProQuest, and Google Scholar up until February 2021. Both MESH and non-MESH keyword searches were performed in the title, abstract, and keywords. The review considered full-text clinical, animal, and in vitro studies in all languages and specifically excluded review articles, book chapters, conference abstracts, and research related to pomegranate in health problems other than osteoarthritis. A manual search was performed to examine the references or citations of eligible papers as well as grey literature to discover potential researches.
The results of the systematic review included twenty-three articles which all showed the beneficial impact of pomegranate across human, animal, and in vitro studies. These showed improvements in clinical presentations and reductions in inflammatory, oxidative stress, and apoptosis markers in osteoarthritis. This demonstrated the therapeutic potential of pomegranate for easing the effects of osteoarthritis.
Walnut consumption coupled with concurrent training improves lipid profile, steroid hormone levels, and systematic inflammation in elderly men.
2021 Biology of Sport Moderate walnut consumption improved lipid profile, steroid hormones and inflammation in trained elderly men: a pilot study with a randomized controlled trial Kamoun A, Hammouda O, Turki M, Maaloul R, Chtourou M, Bouaziz M, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Cholesterol Cortisol CRP
The study created two matched groups of fit elderly men and placed one on a diet inclusive of walnuts (15g/day for six weeks) alongside their concurrent (resistance and endurance) training. The other group did the concurrent training without the walnut-supplemented diet. The study then took fasting blood samples from the participants 48 hours before and after the intervention for biochemical assessments.
The group consuming walnuts saw a significant improvement in their lipid profiles with increased high-density lipoprotein levels and decreased total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and triglyceride levels. The walnut-eating participants also saw an increase in testosterone levels after the training, which was significantly higher than the group not consuming walnuts. Additionally, the walnut-consuming group experienced lowered cortisol levels and decreased C-reactive protein compared to the group not consuming walnuts. It is plausible the results could be attributed to the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids in walnuts.
Avocado/soy unsaponifiables effectively treat osteoarthritis by controlling the balance between oxidant and antioxidant molecular markers.
2021 Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine Avocado/soy unsaponifiables can redress the balance between serum antioxidant and oxidant levels in patients with osteoarthritis: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study Jangravi Z, Basereh S, Zaree Mahmoudabadi A, Saberi M, Alishiri GH, Korani M
Randomised Controlled Trial Osteoarthritis
The methodology used in this study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Forty osteoarthritis patients were classified into two groups: one received avocado/soy unsaponifiables (ASU) for three months followed by three months of placebo, and the other group received a placebo first for three months followed by three months of ASU. The patients' oxidant status was evaluated by measuring their serum malonldialdehyde (MDA). Other measures such as total antioxidant capacity, reduced glutathione, and antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase and catalase were also assessed.
After three months of treatment, all patients who were given avocado/soy unsaponifiables exhibited a significant decrease in their serum MDA levels, indicating lower oxidative stress. In comparison, these levels were higher at baseline and after placebo treatment. Furthermore, the treatment with avocado/soy unsaponifiables resulted in positive changes in the patients' antioxidant levels. Analysis also showed that the effect of avocado/soy unsaponifiables was consistent, regardless of the sequence in which the medication was received. These findings demonstrate that avocado/soy unsaponifiables can contribute effectively to the treatment of osteoarthritis by regulating the balance between oxidant and antioxidant molecular markers.
Ginger, through various methods, exhibits promising pain reduction effects for conditions such as dysmenorrhea, muscle soreness, osteoarthritis, low back pain, and migraines.
2020 Phytotherapy Research Clinical trials on pain lowering effect of ginger: A narrative review Rondanelli M, Fossari F, Vecchio V, Gasparri C, Peroni G, Spadaccini D, et al.
Review Article Ginger Low Back Pain Osteoarthritis
The review incorporates a vast range of randomized controlled trials conducted over the past decade, where ginger was mainly used for pain relief in distinct conditions. The conditions included dysmenorrhea, delayed onset muscle soreness, osteoarthritis, chronic low back pain, and migraines. The variety of methods used included oral administration, topical application, and aromatic oil massages.
In the analysed trials, for dysmenorrhea and muscle soreness, the considered studies suggested a promising effect after both oral and topical administration of ginger. As for osteoarthritis, most trials demonstrated pain reduction following topical and oral use of ginger, one focused on the beneficial effects of ginger in relieving migraine pain. Last but not least, a trial involving massages with aromatic ginger oil highlighted its potential in reducing chronic low back pain.
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