Insights & Discussion
Tart cherry juice potentially helps alleviate symptoms of mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis and decreases the levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein.
The study involved 58 non-diabetic participants with grade 2-3 osteoarthritis as categorized by Kellgren. Participants were randomly assigned to consume two 8-ounce bottles of either tart cherry juice or a placebo daily for six weeks. There was a one-week washout period before participants switched to the alternate treatment in a crossover design. The research measured participants' Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis Index scores and walking times before and after each treatment. Levels of plasma urate, creatinine, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein were also noted at baseline and after each treatment. Acetaminophen was permitted as a rescue drug with self-reporting after each treatment period.
There was a noticeable reduction in Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis Index scores following the cherry juice treatment, an effect not observed with the placebo. High sensitivity C-reactive protein also showed a decrease during the cherry juice treatment. The reduction in high sensitivity C-reactive protein was consistent with the improvement observed in osteoarthritis index scores. However, consumption of tart cherry juice didn't significantly affect walking time, usage of acetaminophen, or plasma urate and creatinine levels.
Tart cherry juice shows promise in easing knee osteoarthritis symptoms.
This study included 58 patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who were given either cherry juice or a placebo. While both groups showed some improvement in WOMAC scores, the cherry juice group experienced a 15% improvement, compared to 6% in the placebo group. However, this difference wasn't statistically significant. The cherry juice group also saw a 23% reduction in hsCRP (an inflammation marker), whereas the placebo group had a 51% increase. This suggests an anti-inflammatory effect of cherry juice. The study notes some limitations, including small sample size and the need for further research. Overall, cherry juice may offer benefits for OA patients.
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Pomegranate juice consumption appears to somewhat enhance inflammatory status and complete blood count in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
2023 Complementary Therapies in Medicine Adjuvant pomegranate juice intake improves the inflammatory status of hospitalized COVID-19 patients: A randomized and placebo-controlled trial Yousefi M, Sadriirani M, Mahmoodi S, Samimi B, Pourmahmoudi A, Hosseinikia M, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial COVID-19 CRP Inflammation
The study was a randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled trial involving 48 patients and had two parallel arms. As part of their standard hospital care, patients were either given 500 mL of whole pomegranate juice daily or a placebo for a period of 14 days. The researchers focused on measuring inflammatory indicators and complete blood counts both at the start of the study and at the end of the 14-day intervention period.
Following the 14-day intervention, there was a distinguishable decrease in primary outcomes including inflammatory markers such as C reactive protein, interleukin-6, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the group that consumed pomegranate juice as compared to the readings before the intervention. In addition, considerable changes were also observed in secondary outcomes such as neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, platelets-to-lymphocyte and neutrophils-to-lymphocyte ratios in the pomegranate juice group compared to the parameters before the intervention. Finally, the mean changes in levels of interleukin-6, white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocyte, platelets, platelets-to-lymphocyte ratio, blood oxygen saturation and MCV were significantly different between the two groups by the end of intervention, while no significant difference was noted in other blood indices.
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.
Turmeric curcuminoids are associated with better pain relief than NSAIDs in knee osteoarthritis.
2021 Complementary Therapies in Medicine The efficacy of high- and low-dose curcumin in knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis An-Fang Hsiao, Yi-Chieh Lien, I-Shiang Tzeng, Chien-Ting Liu, Sheng-Hsun Chou, Yi-Shiung Horng
Systematic Review Arthritis Knee Osteoarthritis Turmeric
The meta-analysis results showed that curcuminoids were significantly more effective than comparators regarding visual analogue scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scores.
However, no significant difference in pain relief or AEs between the high-dose (daily dose ≥1000 mg or total dose ≥42 gm) and low-dose (daily dose <1000 mg or total dose <42 gm) curcuminoid treatments was observed.
When comparing curcumininoids versus NSAIDs, a significant difference in VAS pain was found. For AE analysis, three of our included studies used NSAIDs as comparators, with all reporting higher AE rates in the NSAID group, though significance was reached in only one study.
Pomegranate peel extract supplementation can decrease total cholesterol and triglyceride levels while boosting antioxidant status in obese women with knee osteoarthritis.
2021 Advances in Integrative Medicine Effects of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel extract supplementation on serum lipid profile and oxidative stress in obese women with knee osteoarthritis: A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study Haghighian MK, Rafraf M, Hemmati S, Haghravan S, Asghari-Jafarabadi M
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The research was a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial involving 66 obese women aged 38 to 60 years old with knee osteoarthritis. These participants were split into two groups, the intervention group and control group, each containing 33 members. The intervention group received pomegranate peel extract capsules (500 mg) twice daily for 8 weeks including standard drug therapy while the control group was given a placebo during the same period. All participants' fasting blood samples, anthropometric measurements, dietary intake data, and physical activity levels were collected both before the start and at the end of the trial.
Results analysis showed that pomegranate peel extract supplementation brought down levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and an oxidative stress marker while enhancing levels of some antioxidant enzymes and the overall antioxidant capacity when compared to the control group. However, there were no noticeable alterations between the two groups in terms of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and body mass index by the end of the experiment.
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.
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