If you suffer with osteoarthritis in your hands, here’s some good news from FACTS (Finger osteoArthritis Chondroitin Treatment Study).  Researchers report that daily supplementation with chondroitin sulfate is both safe and effective in reducing hand pain and improving function in hand osteoarthritis.

In the six-month placebo-controlled, double-blind study, the 80 patients who took 800 mg daily of chondroitin had significantly greater reduction in hand pain compared with 82 patients who took placebo. There’s more good news: chondroitin also was significantly better at improving morning stiffness. Patients who took chondroitin did not, however, see a significant improvement in grip strength compared with placebo. Read more »»

Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) are launching a groundbreaking new project to investigate the benefits of broccoli in the fight against osteoarthritis.

Initial laboratory research at UEA has found that a compound in broccoli called sulforaphane blocks the enzymes that cause joint destruction in osteoarthritis – the most common form of arthritis.

Broccoli has previously been associated with reduced cancer risk but this is the first major study into its effects on joint health.

With funding from both Arthritis Research UK and the Diet and Health Research Industry Club (DRINC), the £650,000 project will explore how sulforaphane may act to slow or prevent the development of osteoarthritis. It will prepare the way for the first patient trials and could lead to safe new ways of preventing and treating this painful disease. Read more »»

Black, oolong, green, and white tea all come from the Camellia sinensis tea plant, yet they are not the same, and the difference begins the moment the teas are picked.

White tea begins its journey to your tea cup when the plant sports a greater proportion of buds to leaves. These buds are covered with whitish hairs, which is where the tea gets its name. Once the white tea buds and young leaves are picked, they are steamed and dried rapidly, just enough to stop oxidation (oxidation occurs in different levels in green and black teas, giving them their respective color and flavor).

The result is a tea that is barely processed, which allows it to hold onto high concentrations of the potent polyphenols called catechins. All other teas undergo more processing than white tea, which reduces their level of catechins (e.g., epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate [EGCG]), those potent antioxidants for which white and green tea are well known. Read more »»

Listen up, ladies (and guys too, even though the study doesn’t mention you): Boston researchers say that women who live in the northern latitudes are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than their friends living down south.

Dr. Veronica Vieira, MS, DSc, associate professor of environmental health at Boston University School of Public Health says “This might be related to the fact that there’s less sunlight in these areas, which results in a vitamin D deficiency.” Read more »»

I spent the best part of last week at the ExpoWest Natural Products Expo at Anaheim here in California and learned a few things:

• The natural foods business is booming despite the recession
• Most people in the natural products business do not look like they lead a natural lifestyle (read: gone are the days when products are mostly developed by small cottage industries and people who are passionate about the industry.  They have been replaced by big industry, corporate executives and big budgets (it costs minimum 10-15k to exhibit all in just for a small company))
• Soy can come in many forms and it isn’t always what you think!
• Acai, Acai, Acai!!  Can’t get enough! (I am being cynical)
  
• Labeling continues to be fuzzy at best.  Hey, Its Acai!  But read the fine print and who knows what else
• 5 Hour Energy is going the way of 6 Minute Abs.  100 different knock offs.  Note: have you ever read the label on that product?
  

But my main concern is over protein powders and supplements.  Recently I was also at the LA Fitness and Health Convention when all sorts of people claiming to be “fit” were pedaling all sorts of protein powders with the active ingredients being long chain molecules that Harvard professors wouldn’t understand.  I had been concerned for a while but it has really been driven home to be lately as I turn 46 and become more focused on men’s health issues and as I walk around “Health” Expo’s where people are selling products with no knowledge of the potential health effects. Read more »»

Infrared sauna is a key part of my joint pain management after exercise.

The heat and steam of traditional saunas and steam baths have long been prized for their ability to alleviate the pain and stiffness of arthritis, if only temporarily. They also help to ease muscle tension, cleanse the skin, relieve respiratory problems such as congestion and bronchitis, and promote a general feeling of relaxation and well-being.

A newer approach to sauna utilizes infrared heaters, which produce radiant energy similar to the energy produced by the sun. This kind of heat penetrates more deeply into the body. And, since the natural vibrations of infrared wavelengths are close to those of water molecules, infra red light is believed to “blast” toxins out of fat cells so they can be excreted from the body via sweating. Because it is burdened by fewer toxins, the body is better able to heal from arthritis. Infra red heat is also thought to improve circulation, which helps ensure the flow of nutrients and other essential substances to the joints.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that infrared saunas can relieve the pain of arthritis, low back pain, fibromyalgia and other inflammatory conditions, as well as provide relief from fatigue.

Dutch researchers tested the effects of infrared sauna on rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis (a disease that attacks the cartilage and other structures in the spine) for a 2009 study published in Clinical Rheumatology.4 The 34 volunteers who participated were given eight infrared treatments over the course of four weeks. They reported a statistically significant decrease in pain and stiffness during their sessions.

An infrared sauna is typically a small room that looks like a standard sauna, but instead of a heat source covered with rocks or a steam generator, it contains a few infrared heaters.

Infrared sauna companies claim:

• Far infrared saunas operate at temperatures of 100 degrees F to 130 degrees F.  Conventional saunas operate at temperatures of 180 degrees F to 220 degrees F, temperatures are not as well tolerated.
• Far infrared is claimed to heat tissue three times as much as conventional saunas.
• Far infrared’s resonant absorption causes more toxins expelled through the kidney, liver, and hair.
• Far infrared saunas are safer as there are no hot surfaces or high temperatures.
• Far infrared saunas are portable and easy to assemble.
• Far infrared saunas’ lower temperatures do not dry out the mucous membranes like conventional saunas.
• Infrared energy requires 90% less electrical energy (thus a lower electrical bill).
• Less than 20% of the infrared energy heats the air, leaving 80% available to be directly converted to heat within the body.
• Warms the user to a much greater depth (up to three inches) and more efficiently than the conventional sauna.
• Induces 2-3 times the sweat volume as conventional saunas, increasing many of the health benefits, including detoxification, cardiovascular conditioning, and calorie burning.
• The lower heat ranges may be safer for those with cardiovascular risks.
• The air is more pleasant and easier to breathe, making the sauna more comfortable to use.  Many models pump in fresh air.
• Warm up only takes 5-10 minutes compared to 30-90 minutes for conventional saunas.
• Uses no water, thus no plumbing costs, bacterial growth, or cleanup.

I use my infrared sauna, which is installed in my house, in conjunction with an ice bath as I always finish with “cold” after a workout and never “heat”.  If I haven’t had the time to go to the shop and buy bags of ice another method is to stand waist deep in your pool in the middle of winter (if you have a pool of course!).  I do this for 20 minutes and usually try and read a few magazines to keep my mind off the cold.  I swear by it.  4 years ago I was laid up with a massive lower back muscle strain and I truly believe my recovery was 500% faster due to my use of infrared sauna therapy.  And whenever I play tennis or do a hard run or if I am feeling the effects of the prior day workout or ski session, I go through my heat/cold regime and I am pretty much healed.  Its amazing.  You can read more about it here

Mr JoMo