What Vitamin Is Good For Osteoarthritis

The Top 10 Best Supplements For Osteoarthritis

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If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from Osteoarthritis, you know how painful and debilitating the condition can be. There is no cure for Osteoarthritis, but there are a number of supplements that can help ease the symptoms. This blog post will discuss the best supplements for Osteoarthritis and how they can help improve your quality of life.

How Can Glucosamine And Chondroitin Sulfates Help Osteoarthritis Pain

Although it has not been proven that glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates rebuild cartilage, there is evidence from some studies that these compounds can reduce osteoarthritis pain, usually within several weeks to months after initiating therapy. An increasing number of osteoarthritis patients are trying glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates.

The safety and long-term effectiveness of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate for osteoarthritis needs to be confirmed by larger studies.

The supplements are marketed under different names, with different strengths and levels of purity. Unfortunately at this time, there is no government monitoring to ensure the purity of these products.

It is important to consult with your doctor before starting any new osteoarthritis treatments. Your doctor can review the other drugs you are taking and help you decide whether or not these supplements are right for you. In addition, always follow the instructions on the medication label. Do not take more of the supplements than is recommended.

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What Does Osteoarthritis Do To Your Body

Once our cartilage starts to wear down, other things start to happen to our joints. The bones can rub together, creating inflammation and pain.

This is why so many people develop Osteoarthritis in their hands or knees because those joints tend to bear the most weight.

If you have Osteoarthritis, your remaining cartilage has less cushioning, which makes it easier for your bones to rub together. This causes the bones to be damaged, which eventually leads to joint stiffness and pain.

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Top 4 Supplements To Treat Arthritis Pain

Choosing the right supplement to ease your arthritis pain and inflammation can be confusing. Which supplements are most effective? Of the many types of supplements available in stores and online, the following 4 have been well-studied for their ability to treat arthritis pain:

Research suggests curcumin, found in the spice turmeric, has anti-inflammatory properties and has the potential to reduce arthritis pain.

The Effects Of Vitamin D Supplementation On Pain In Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis Are Open To Interpretation And Warrant Further Investigation

In the December 2015 edition of The Clinical Journal of Pain , a team of researchers led by Dr. Toni L. Glover of the University of Florida, College of Nursing and investigators from the University of Alabama wrote about vitamin D, knee pain and problems associated with obesity in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

This study is part of a larger ongoing project at the University of Florida and the University of Alabama at Birmingham that aims to enhance the understanding of racial/ethnic differences in pain and limitations among individuals with osteoarthritic disease .

Here are the highlights of their study:

So what to make of this research?

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Buying Guide For Best Supplements For Arthritis Pain

Arthritis pain sufferers often seek relief through prescription or over-the-counter analgesics, steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, and heat therapy. While these treatments may be effective in the short term, they can be expensive over time. Some treatments, such as cortisone injections, can actually accelerate tissue deterioration. A popular homeopathic alternative is the arthritis pain supplement. These supplements often include sugar-derived ingredients such as glucosamine and/or chondroitin as well as a sulfur-based product called MSM .

Because supplements targeted at arthritis pain are considered food products and not medication, there are no FDA standards. Some contain therapeutic levels of vitamins or minerals others rely heavily on unregulated ingredients like glucosamine and chondroitin. We offer an in-depth discussion of the benefits and potential drawbacks of arthritis pain supplements in this detailed guide.

Research: Vitamin D Supplementation Improves Quality Of Life And Physical Performance In Osteoarthritis Patients

University researchers in Thailand wrote in the July 2017 edition of the international medical publication Nutrients of how much supplementation would offer benefits in patients:

Here are the highlights of this research:

• One hundred and seventy-five primary knee osteoarthritis patients with low levels of serum 25D received 40,000 IU vitamin D per week for six months.
• Baseline vitamin D status, 58.90% of patients had vitamin D insufficiency, and 41.10% had vitamin D deficiency.
• After vitamin D supplementation for six months, 57.10% of patients had vitamin D sufficiency and 42.90% had vitamin D insufficiency.

Results:

• Patient quality of life and pain both improved significantly from baseline to the six-month time point.
• Knee osteoarthritis patients demonstrated significant improvement in grip strength and physical performance measurements after vitamin D supplementation.
• Vitamin D supplementation for six months also reduced oxidative protein damage.

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Positive Relationship Between Vitamin E And Joint Health

The importance of vitamin E in protecting cartilage health has been illustrated in several case-control studies. Surapaneni and Venkataramana showed that among Indian subjects , the osteoarthritic patients had lower circulating vitamin E and vitamin C, in conjunction with lower erythrocytic glutathione level and catalase activity and increased erythrocytic malondialdehyde level, glutathione transferase and peroxidase activity than healthy control . Bhattacharya et al. also obtained similar observation in their osteoarthritic patients , alongside increased ceruloplasmin, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 . However, the oxidative status of the blood might not reflect the condition in the joint space. This was best illustrated by the study of Suantawee et al. . They found that osteoarthritic patients with KellgrenLawrence scale 34 had significantly higher plasma malondialdehyde and nitrite level, as well as lower vitamin E, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity , and ferric reducing antioxidant power than healthy control . In the osteoarthritic patients, synovial fluid was sampled to test the correlation between circulating and synovial markers of oxidative stress. Only FRAP showed a significant correlation, but not vitamin E, malondialdehyde and TEAC , highlighting the discordance between vitamin E level and oxidative status in the circulation and in the joint space.

What Supplements Are Good For Arthritis

As well as having a healthy, balanced diet, getting additional nutrients from food supplements may help if you have arthritis.

• Omega-3 fatty acids for inflammatory arthritis.
• Vitamin E.
• Glucosamine sulphate and chondroitin for osteoarthritis.
• Exclusion diets.
• Are they safe?

Herein, what is the best supplement for joint pain?

Here are six common supplements for arthritis and the evidence of their effects on joint pain.

• Glucosamine.

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Vitamin D Has Potential Benefits For People With Osteoarthritis

medwireNews: Vitamin D intake is inversely associated with cartilage degeneration among patients with osteoarthritis , and supplementation may have a protective effect, suggests an analysis of data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.

In the cross-sectional part of their study, Gabby Joseph and colleagues found a significant inverse association between self-reported dietary vitamin D intake and cartilage degeneration among 1785 patients with a KellgrenLawrence score of 3 or lower in the right knee.

Specifically, higher vitamin D intake was significantly associated with a reduction in cartilage WORMS score a modified semi-quantitative whole-organ magnetic resonance imaging score, where lower scores indicate less degeneration with an estimated drop of 0.24 points for each standard deviation increase in vitamin D.

Moreover, daily vitamin D supplementation was significantly associated with lower cartilage WORMS score in the medial femur in the cross-sectional analysis.

The researchers also demonstrated a longitudinal association between vitamin D supplementation and reduced joint degeneration over 4 years of follow-up among individuals who took supplements consistently. This association was dose-dependent, with 300 IU taken at least 46 days per week being the smallest dose and lowest frequency to show a significant inverse association with WORMS progression.

The researchers note that their study was limited by its observational design and self-reported vitamin intake.

Foods That Should Be Avoided If You Have Osteoarthritis

• Grains The grains should be avoided by glucosamine for osteoarthritis sufferers due to their pro-inflammatory effects.

• Sugar This should be avoided because it creates an inflammatory state in the body, exacerbating arthritis symptoms.

• Refined Vegetable Oils These oils are high in omega-six fatty acids, which increase inflammation leading to pain.

• Trans Fats These fats are also pro-inflammatory and should be avoided by OA sufferers.

• Animal Fat Animal fat has the same negative effects as trans fats, so it is best to avoid them too.

• Processed Foods Anything that is processed, including refined sugars, grains, oils, and animal fats, should be avoided as these have been demonstrated to affect OA sufferers negatively.

• Refined Carbohydrates These carbs can increase inflammation, so they should be avoided as part of an arthritis diet by those suffering from the disease.

• High-Fat Diet This type of diet is high in calories and saturated fats, which osteoarthritis sufferers should avoid.

• Red Meat High levels of heme iron found in red meat can increase the risk of oxidative stress, a factor that is thought to contribute to OA.

• Vegetable Oils These oils are high in omega-six fatty acids, increasing inflammation and leading to pain.

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Short Term Nutraceutical Supplementation In Oa Patients

In studies with short term duration of supplementation, significant effects of nutraceutical supplement only were seen on VAS and WOMAC stiffness scores. Among these, three supplements had significant effects on VAS pain intensity. Low dose Sierrasil in addition to cats claw extract and l-carnitine had a considerable effect also on WOMAC all subscales in patients with mild to moderate knee OA. Additionally, milk protein concentrate showed significant effects on WOMAC stiffness score in knee OA patients with unspecified disease severity and Chicken comb extract with a high content of hyaluronic acid had a considerable effect on WOMAC total score, in patients with mild to severe knee OA according to Kellgren and Lawrence scoring system for classification of knee OA.

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Vitamin E Is Most Effective In A Combination Therapy

There have been studies investigating the effects of vitamin E in association with other compounds on arthritis symptoms. Animal studies on mice prone to rheumatoid arthritis have examined the effects on vitamin supplementation in association with omega-3 fatty acids6.

Researchers have concluded that vitamin E may decrease pro-inflammatory cytokines and lipid mediators. However, further studies are necessary to determine optimal nutrient combinations to support healthy joints.

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Vitamin D May Help Manage Pain From Osteoarthritis

• Osteoarthritis

Patients who suffer from osteoarthritis pain and are deficient in vitamin D may get some relief with vitamin D supplementation. These findings were presented at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases in Milan, Italy, March 2629.

Like rheumatoid arthritis , osteoarthritis involves joint inflammation. The two conditions, however, have very different causes, symptoms, and treatments. Unlike RA, OA is not an autoimmune disease but rather a condition characterized by the breakdown of cartilage in a joint, which also involves changes to bone, ligaments, and other parts of the joint. As cartilage is lost, bones can begin to rub against each other, causing pain and swelling.

Treatment for OA can include exercise to strengthen muscles that support joints and help keep joints flexible as well as medications to help manage pain. In addition, although theres currently no clear evidence that supplements can help improve joint health, its thought that vitamin D may provide some joint protection.

To determine how patients responded to vitamin D, the researchers used MRI to measure changes in knee cartilage and also used an established index to measure changes in knee pain.

While side effects for all patients tended to be minor, they were more common in the vitamin D group. Severe side effects were rare in both the vitamin D and placebo groups.

• Connect With Others In The Arthritis Community To Share Information And Support

Supplements That May Ease Arthritis Pain

These supplements seem to have anti-inflammatory properties and may decrease arthritic knee pain.

1.CurcuminThe chemical compound curcumin is found in turmeric, a plant root used in fresh or spice form to flavor cooking. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties and seems to effectively treat knee arthritis symptoms.2–5

Curcumin accounts for only about 3% to 5% of turmeric,6,7 so a supplement may be the best way to get anti-inflammatory benefits from this substance. Look for products labeled as containing 95% curcuminoids.

See Turmeric and Curcumin for Arthritis

2.GingerLike turmeric, ginger is also a plant root. In fact, ginger and turmeric are part of the same plant family, so it shouldnt come as a surprise that ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce your knee pain.8–10 Ginger is available as a supplement but can also be used fresh in cooking or as a tea.

3.Omega 3 fatty acidsResearch suggests eating foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids can reduce knee arthritis pain and improve knee function.11 Most omega 3 supplements come in the form of fish oil, but some are plant-based, such as walnuts and flaxseeds. If youre not interested in supplements, you can also try following an anti-inflammatory diet thats rich in foods like fish and dark, leafy greens.

See The Difference Between Omega-3 and Omega-6 and Knee Arthritis Pain

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Potential Concerns With Calcium Supplements

There are some concerns about taking large doses of calcium via supplements.

For example, calcium supplements have been associated with symptoms like constipation, kidney stones, and other digestive issues. There are also some concerns that they may be bad for heart health .

One review found an increased risk of heart attacks in those taking calcium supplements. That said, other studies have not shown a link between calcium supplements and negative outcomes for heart health .

As dietary intake of calcium has not been linked to these side effects, its best to focus on meeting your calcium needs through your diet and discussing the potential need for supplements with your healthcare provider.

Summary

While there are certain situations in which calcium supplements may be indicated, the current research doesnt support the use of calcium supplements to prevent or manage osteoporosis.

Role Of Vitamin E In Osteoarthritis

Vitamin E is an excellent agent to treat or avoid osteoarthritis because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Key facts are-

• Cellular studies conducted on Vitamin E revealed that vitamin E mitigated type of oxidative stress in chondrocyte culture or cartilage explants invoked by free radicals or mechanical stress.
• Animal studies proved that treatment via Vitamin E avoided degeneration in cartilage and improved oxidative status in various osteoarthritis animal models.
• Synovial or low circulating types of Vitamin E were present in patients suffering from osteoarthritis.
• Observational studies proved that Vitamin E has a relationship in managing the progression of osteoarthritis in people.

In simple words, Vitamin E retards the progression of underlying symptoms of osteoarthritis by simply ameliorating oxidative stress and the pain or inflammation of joints.

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Vitamin D Can Improve Healing And Prolotherapy Treatments

In the Journal of Prolotherapy, Margaret E. Taylor, MBBS, BSC, FACNEM, wrote:

• People who heal well obviously differ in some important way from those who we see with chronic non-healing lesions. The distinguishing feature is primarily the effectiveness of the healing cascade. Unless the factors contributing to this are considered, the outcome of Prolotherapy will also be affected. Research shows the most important nutrients for the generation of new collagen for healing are protein, vitamin C, zinc, copper and manganese-all cofactors for various enzymes in collagen generation and stability. Nutrition in modern societies is shown to be inadequate in many of these areas and can easily be corrected.
• Malabsorption is also a cause of poor healing and musculoskeletal difficulties, and undetected celiac disease is common in our patients. Chronic widespread pain is similar but a separate entity, and thyroid and vitamin D deficiency need to be considered.
• Unexplained musculoskeletal pains are often due to vitamin D deficiency as well as deconditioning syndrome. . Pains of this type are a recognized symptom of osteomalacia which is diagnosed by tests for calcium, vitamin D and parathyroid hormone. Supplementation with vitamin D for 1 to 2 months has been shown to normalize muscle strength and pain in patients with myopathy.
• In 139 patients with muscle pain, 74% were vitamin D deficient, and 90% of those improved with vitamin D.

Data Synthesis And Analysis

Data were pooled using random-effects model. As the included trials used different scales to assess the same outcome, standardised mean differences were calculated for continuous data, and risk ratios were used for dichotomous data with their 95% CIs. To facilitate interpretation of estimated treatment effects, we considered ES up to 0.3 as small, between 0.3 and 0.8 as moderate, and greater than 0.8 as large effects. A threshold of 0.37 standardised units was defined as the minimum clinically important difference , which was based on the median MCID found in recent studies in patients with OA. We considered the effects as clinically important if ES and 95%CI exceeded our prespecified MCID threshold of 0.37. The effects were considered unclear if clinically important when the 95%CI crossed this threshold, and statistically significant but clearly not clinically important when the 95%CI was below the MCID but above the null effect line. If the 95%CI crossed the null effect line, supplements were considered ineffective.

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