Rheumatoid Arthritis Natural Treatments
Are there rheumatoid arthritis natural treatment? Natural treatments have to be safe with few side effects and relatively inexpensive. Exactly what is a rheumatoid arthritis natural treatment? Are these complete cures or do they put arthritis into remission? What are they? How effective are they?
The procedure listed below is a summary of months of research, the summary of many experiments and clinical studies.
Gelatin
Gelatin is made of collagen, the raw material in joints and connective tissue and helps a body restore healthy joints, nails and connective tissue. A restaurant food supplier selling unsweetened gelatin in pound or kilogram (2.2 pounds) quantities is the cheapest source. Unsweetened gelatin, available at most supermarkets, may also be used.
Gelatin is very similar in structure to the collagen type 2 that composes connective tissues including cartilage. Gelatin is mostly protein with about 20g per heaping tablespoon. The theory with using gelatin as a remedy for arthritis is that as a precursor to cartilage the gelatin prevents arthritic damage from occurring and supports the body to repair existing damage.
In a Harvard study a heaping tablespoon of gelatin daily put arthritis into remission for 28 out of 29 patients. These patients had experienced long term rheumatoid arthritis. Remission occurred within 90 days. If gelatin is an effective remedy for you, it should only take about 30- 45 days to see symptom improvement.
Gelatin is usually a very safe product with a few people reporting stomach upset very rarely.
The daily dosage is a heaping tablespoon of gelatin in water or juice. Vitamin C may be mixed into the gelatin.
Preparation of the gelatin:
Fill a glass one quarter full with cold water; tap water temperature is fine.
Sprinkle the heaping tablespoon of gelatin on the water and let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add about a quarter of a glass of hot tap water, not boiling water. Stir well.
Add a quarter of a glass of cold water and stir again.
Drink.
This portion of the rheumatoid arthritis remedy protocol is particularly important for people who drastically limit their red meat intake.
Pharmaceutical grade vs. food-grade fish oil
Fish oil should reduce the inflammation of arthritis. Clinical studies and academic experiments over the last 200 years have consistently indicated rheumatoid arthritic relief is one of many benefits from fish oil.
At this time there is no standardized definition in the USA to differentiate between pharmaceutical grade and food grade fish oil. The general thinking is that pharmaceutical grade has virtually all polluted contaminates removed, such as mercury, dioxin, PCB’s, etc. where food grade would have most of the contaminates removed. Several European Union countries have standardized pharmaceutical and food grade differences, so it may be worthwhile to look for pharmaceutical grades. Pregnant women, nursing women and people with other health issues should consider a verified pharmaceutical grade refined oil.
An analysis of nine studies of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers taking omega-3s showed no reduction in joint damage but the number of tender joints decreased. In six of the studies, people with rheumatoid arthritis were able to reduce their use of NSAIDs or corticosteroids. Additionally, a 2005 study of people with rheumatoid arthritis indicated increased positive benefits when fish oil supplements were used in combination with olive oil used in everyday cooking.
Symptoms are dose dependent in that most people that “try” fish oil for rheumatoid arthritic relief only take 1 or 2 capsules daily. The studies above indicate that a sufferer should be ingesting 2.7 grams, or more, of polyunsaturated fatty acids a day. A typical high-grade fish oil capsule at 30% polyunsaturated fatty acid would require 9 – 10 capsules a day to achieve the basal minimum dosage.
A small number of people report abdominal cramps and diarrhea when taking this amount, 9 – 10 capsules daily, of fish oil. The undesirable side effects were moderated when the fish oil was taken with or shortly following a meal; not before a meal on an empty stomach. Fish oil products that contain high quantities of vitamin A and D, which could be toxic in high quantities, should not be used.
Since there are some pharmaceutical grade and food grade fish oil formulations that contain as much as 50% polyunsaturated fatty acids, be sure to verify the amount on the label. Adjust the number of capsules accordingly to achieve at least 2.7 grams daily.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids inhibit blood clotting; avoid taking fish oil supplements before and after surgery. Fish oil may have a “laxative effect” at different dosages on some people. Consult your health care professional before beginning any supplements, particularly if you are scheduled for surgery, have a chronic blood disorder or are on an aspirin regimen.
Green Tea
China, Japan and India are countries where green tea is regarded as a healthy beverage with the potential to prevent certain diseases. These countries have a much lower rate of rheumatoid arthritis than elsewhere around the world.
Dr. Tariq Haqqi of Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, USA was lead author of a green tea study impacting rheumatoid arthritis. Specifically the study targeted the effect green tea polyphenols had on rheumatoid arthritis using mice as the subject.
The control group of mice were given plain water and the test group were fed the human equivalent of 4 (four) cups of green tea a day.
The study results discovered that mice which were fed green tea were significantly less susceptible to developing arthritis than the mice fed plain water. The test group of mice fed green tea did develop arthritis; however it occurred as late onset and mild. Eight of 18, or 44%, of the mice receiving green tea developed arthritis while 17 out of 18, or 94%, of the control group mice fed water developed arthritis.
The joint tissue of both groups was examined with the green tea test group having a much lower collagen infiltration of joint cells compared to the control water group which had a significantly higher collagen infiltration. The study concluded that the green tea effect was dramatic.
The green tea used for the polyphenols was regular, not decaffeinated. This part of the procedure may not be advisable for people that have to restrict their intake of caffeine.
Diet
Many people feel that diet is the foundation upon which a person suffering from rheumatoid arthritis builds.
In other words, start with your every day diet; modify it as much as possible to be supportive and preventive. Particularly your every day diet must not lead to being overweight! (Why add more pounds to those poor stressed out bones and joints.)
Then, add the glycerin. After 10 to 14 days add the fish oil remedy in addition to the glycerin, after another 2 weeks add green tea to the glycerin and fish oil, etc.
Diets and particularly fad diets have pretty consistently been clinically shown not to improve rheumatoid arthritis however; studies have shown that people have an amazingly varied response to certain foods. The lack of foods causes conditions, such as scurvy being caused by the lack of vitamin C. The excess of certain foods makes some diseases worse, such as organ meats causing gout attacks. The shear presence of foods may cause an allergic reaction (some doctors believe that rheumatoid arthritis is an allergic reaction expressed in the joints.)
Most of these simple, safe and relatively inexpensive rheumatoid arthritis remedies shown in this remedy protocol are effective to some degree for some people, perhaps a majority of people. They certainly will not be effective for everyone all the time. Consequently testimonials are of limited use. This rheumatoid arthritis remedy protocol is designed specifically as an incremental protocol where the sufferer modifies their everyday diet and then adds one remedy, then another, then another, etc.
More rheumatoid arthritis remedies in this protocol will be added in additional articles.
