A Holistic Approach to Reversing &
Preventing Osteoarthritis & Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA as it is now called, begins as an inflammatory process that is
initially caused by Free Radical Damage involving an excessive release of leukotrienes,
directed at the joints.   This damage deteriorates the joints causing swelling, pain and
tenderness, with the eventual result of the body trying to repair this damage with natures
healing element, calcium.   With time, the end result is calcification taking the place of the
joint material to the point where it often overshoots and creates small lumps, called
rheumatoid nodules.

The signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may come and go over time. They
include:

  • Pain and swelling in your joints, especially in the smaller joints of your hands and feet.
  • Generalized aching or stiffness of the joints and muscles, especially after sleep or after periods of rest.
  • Loss of motion of the affected joints.
  • Loss of strength in muscles attached to the affected joints.
  • Fatigue, which can be severe during a flare-up.
  • Low-grade fever.
  • Deformity of your joints over time.
  • General sense of not feeling well (malaise)

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that is caused by the breakdown and eventual loss of
the cartilage of one or more joints. Cartilage is a protein substance that serves as a
"cushion" between the bones of the joints. Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative
arthritis. Among the over 100 different types of arthritis conditions, osteoarthritis is the
most common, affecting over 20 million people in the United States. Osteoarthritis occurs
more frequently as we age. Before age 45, osteoarthritis occurs more frequently in males.

According to modern medicine there is no cure for either form of arthritis and the only
approach one can take is to moderate pain with anti-inflammatory drugs and medication.   
My personal belief and experience is that this is not the case, and that you might want to
experiment on your own with a natural approach, and see if you like the results.   Before I
explain how to tackle the problem, let me site some studies that support my belief that
there are alternative approaches that have been tried with good results.   After 28 years
of research in the area of natural healing, I believe I have perfected a very good holistic
approach, based on many scientific studies and lots of trial and error I might add.

First a few studies...

Fish oils relieve rheumatoid arthritis
ALBANY, NEW YORK. Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic inflammatory disease involving an excessive release of
leukotriene B4 and interleukin 1 in the body. Both animal experiments and human studies have shown that
supplementation with fish oils reduces the release of these inflammatory compounds and in the process relieves
the common arthritis symptoms of morning stiffness and tender joints. Dr. Joel Kremer of the Albany Medical
College has summarized the current knowledge concerning fish oils and rheumatoid arthritis and concludes that
taking 3-6 grams daily of fish oils (n-3 dietary fatty acids) for 12 weeks or more will significantly diminish joint pain
and morning stiffness in RA patients. Several studies have shown that the improvement in some patients is
significant enough to allow them to materially reduce or completely discontinue their use of non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as diclofenac and naproxen. Dr. Kremer also points out that fish oil
supplementation has been found to benefit patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Kremer, Joel M. n-3 fatty acid supplements in rheumatoid arthritis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 71
(suppl), January 2000, pp. 349S-51S

Fish oils and rheumatoid arthritis
BADALONA, SPAIN. Several studies have shown that supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3
PUFAs) found in fish oils is beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Spanish medical researchers now
report that RA patients tend to have decreased levels of n-3 PUFAs in their blood and synovial (joint) fluid. Their
study involved 24 female and 15 male RA patients (median age of 64 years). Blood and joint fluid samples were
collected from the patients and from a control group consisting of 28 healthy volunteers (17 male and 11 female
with a median age of 61 years). All samples were analyzed to determine their fatty acid profile. RA patients were
found to have significantly lower levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (the main component of fish tissue oil) in both
their blood plasma and synovial fluid. The level of alpha-linolenic acid was lower in the synovial fluid of RA
patients, but not in their blood plasma. The level of docosahexaenoic acid (a major component of fish tissue oil)
also tended to be lower in synovial fluids of RA patients, but not in their blood plasma.
The researchers conclude that RA patients have an abnormal fatty acid profile and a significant deficiency in
certain essential fatty acids. They believe this finding may explain why supplements such as fish oils and gamma-
linolenic acid (from evening primrose and borage) have been found to be beneficial in the treatment of
rheumatoid arthritis.
Navarro, Elisabet, et al. Abnormal fatty acid pattern in rheumatoid arthritis - A rationale for treatment with marine
and botanical lipids. Journal of Rheumatology, Vol. 27, February 2000, pp. 298-303

Vitamin D: Is the Need and Evidence for Supplementation Being Ignored?
by William R. Ware, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario

Vitamin D, the so-called sunshine vitamin, is in fact not really a vitamin but a hormone which the body can make
using sunlight. Historically, vitamin-D deficiency was associated with the childhood disease of rickets
characterized by severe growth retardation and the bending or bowing of the legs.  This was long before the
photochemistry of the cutaneous (in the skin) production of vitamin D and the biochemistry and action of its
metabolites were understood.  With the almost complete disappearance of rickets, there was little interest in the
possibility of residual or sub-clinical deficiency.  Only recently has a serum marker for the vitamin D status been
validated, and there has been renewed interest in the possibility of vitamin D deficiency and its implications which
is quite recent and is in part due to the modern understanding of the multiplicity of biochemical actions of vitamin
D metabolites.  Today, research on the role of vitamin D metabolites in health and illness has gone well beyond
their role in calcium homeostasis and bone health.  They are implicated in cancer prevention, hypertension,
rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and early-onset diabetes (type 1).
Like Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be considered an autoimmune disease.  Vitamin D has been
shown in animal models to have immune modulating effects, and this was part of the motivation for a study just
reported that found vitamin D intake inversely associated with the risk of developing RA.  Almost 30,000 women
aged 55-69 were followed for about 10 years in the Iowa Women's Health Study.  An adjusted relative risk of
developing RA was 0.66 for supplement users taking 400 IU/d or more of vitamin D.  Unfortunately, the design of
the study prevented clinical examination, the determination of serum 25(OH)D or sunlight exposure.  Iowa is
above 40°N and thus one would expect a fairly strong seasonal variation in vitamin D status in this age group.

Vitamin C: Your Ultimate Health Insurance
by Hans R. Larsen, MSc ChE

Many experts are now realizing that the RDA of 60 mg/day is far too low to provide for optimum health and
protection against disease.  A team of medical researchers at the National Institutes of Health in the USA recently
completed a study designed to determine the vitamin C requirements of healthy, young men.  They found that a
minimum intake of 1000 mg/day was required to completely saturate the blood plasma with vitamin C.  They also
found that vitamin C should be taken in divided doses throughout the day as urinary excretion increases rapidly
when individual doses exceed 500 mg. The researchers conclude that the RDA should be raised to 200 mg/day.
This amount of vitamin C can be obtained from a diet containing five daily servings of fresh fruit and vegetables;
unfortunately, less than 15 per cent of children and adults in the USA actually consume such a diet.
Two-time Nobel prize winner, Dr. Linus Pauling was the first to realize vitamin C's crucial importance in the
maintenance of a healthy immune system. In 1970 he proposed that regular intake of vitamin-C in amounts far
higher than the officially sanctioned RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) could help prevent and shorten the
duration of the common cold.   Recent medical research has confirmed Dr. Pauling's original idea. Not only does
a high vitamin C intake markedly reduce the severity of a cold, it also effectively prevents secondary viral or
bacterial complications. Vitamin C works by stimulating the immune system and protecting against damage by the
free radicals released by the body in its fight against the infection.
While 200 mg/day of vitamin C may be sufficient to maintain a reasonable health status in healthy, young men, it
is clear that such a relatively low intake is far from adequate for older and sick people. It is also evident that far
greater amounts are required to provide optimum protection against degenerative diseases such as cancer and
heart disease.   Researchers from the National Institute on Aging report that elderly people who take vitamin C
and E supplements have a 50 per cent lower risk of dying prematurely from disease than do people who do not
supplement.  A Californian study concluded that people who consume more than 750 mg/day of vitamin C reduce
their risk of dying prematurely by 60 per cent.  Italian researchers have concluded that older people, especially
the sick are exposed to a much higher level of oxidative stress than are younger people and that their low blood
levels of vitamin C reflect this. Other researchers have found that people who suffer from asthma, arthritis,
cancer, diabetes, and heart disease have much lower levels of vitamin C in their blood than do healthy people.

Glucosamine sulfate works for osteoarthritis
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC. It is estimated that 5-15% of people in the Western world between the ages of 35
and 74 years suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee. The disease can be quite disabling and there are no
conventional pharmaceutical drugs that prevent its progression. As a matter of fact, there is growing evidence
that the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cox-2 inhibitors commonly used to dull the pain accompanying
the disorder actually accelerate its progression.
Researchers at Charles University in Prague now report that glucosamine sulfate is highly effective in halting the
progression of osteoarthritis of the knee. The clinical trial involved 202 patients between the ages of 45 and 70
years who were randomized to receive a placebo or 1500 mg/day of glucosamine sulfate powder for the 3-year
trial period. All participants underwent thorough medical examinations at the beginning of the study and then
once a year. The average joint space in the narrowest medial compartment of the tibiofemoral joint was found to
be slightly less than 4 mm at the start of the trial. After 3 years no change was observed in the glucosamine
group, but the average joint space width had decreased by 0.19 mm in the placebo group. There was little
improvement in symptoms such as knee pain and maximum walking distance in the placebo group, but members
of the glucosamine group experienced symptom score improvements of 20-25% compared with baseline.
The researchers conclude that treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee with glucosamine sulfate (1500 mg/day) is
safe and effectively delays the natural progression of the disease. NOTE: The study was funded by the
Rottapharm Group (Monza, Italy) a manufacturer of glucosamine sulfate.
Pavelka, K, et al. Glucosamine sulfate use and delay of progression of knee osteoarthritis. Archives of Internal
Medicine, Vol. 162, October 14, 2002, pp. 2113-23

Does glucosamine sulfate really work?
LONDON, ENGLAND. Glucosamine sulfate has long been touted as a natural cure for osteoarthritis - but does it
really work? Recent research concludes that it does indeed work. Osteoarthritis affects about one third of all
people between the ages of 45 and 65 years and involves the degeneration of the cartilage in the major weight-
bearing joints (hips, knees, and spine). Glucosamine is synthesized in the body from glucose and glutamic acid
and is an essential part of cartilage. There is evidence that the body's ability to synthesize glucosamine declines
with age and thereby predisposes the joints to osteoarthritis. A recent study of 252 patients with osteoarthritis of
the knee showed that supplementation with glucosamine sulfate (500 mg three times daily) significantly reduced
pain and stiffness. Another study compared ibuprofen (400 mg three times daily) with glucosamine sulfate (500
mg three times daily) and concluded that both compounds lead to similar improvements after four weeks.
However, 35 per cent of the ibuprofen users complained of side effects as compared to only six per cent of the
glucosamine users. Recent research has provided evidence that ibuprofen and other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs) actually inhibit cartilage repair and accelerate the progression of osteoarthritis. A very
recent glucosamine study involved 252 doctors and 1506 osteoarthritis patients. The patients received
glucosamine sulfate for 50 days (500 mg three times daily). At the end of the study period the doctors concluded
that 95 per cent of the patients had improved as a result of the treatment. The improvement was particularly
gratifying in patients who had not responded to any other form of medical treatment. Concludes Dr. John Briffa, a
nutritional physician practicing in London "It is clear that glucosamine sulfate represents the agent of choice in
the treatment of osteoarthritis." Note: There is no evidence that glucosamine sulfate is of any benefit in the
treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Briffa, John. Glucosamine sulphate in the treatment of osteoarthritis. International Journal of Alternative and
Complementary Medicine, Vol. 15, October 1997, pp. 15-16


The best natural approach would include stopping the free radical damage in it's tracks
with anti-oxidants, particularly improving the function of our own anti-oxidant enzyme
called Superoxide Dismutase or SOD.   SOD production in the body needs protein and
the minerals Copper, Manganese, & Zinc.   People who are copper deficient often have
great improvement in their symptoms, when they wear a copper bracelet.   The body
absorbs the copper in molecular amounts, and completes the SOD molecule, if the
person has all the other materials present in optimal amounts.
Also you have to stop the inflammatory process that is created from excessive release of
leukotrienes into the blood stream.  This is best done by reducing omega 6 fatty acids
from vegetable oils and processed bakery goods and margarines and increasing omega
3 fatty acids from Fish and flax seed oils.  Also Curcumin, derived from the herb Turmeric,
contains a mixture of powerful phytonutrients that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory -
anti-bacterial properties.
Next you have to encourage the body to rebuild the joint material, with compounds like
Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfate, which are the building blocks of cartilage.
Lastly, over a long period of time, calcium can be encouraged away from soft tissues with
increased amounts of magnesium and vitamin K & D.   Magnesium rules calcium in the
body and keeps it in solution, and vitamin K has recently been shown to reduce
calcification in the body.   Vitamin D helps calcium into the bones where it belongs and
improves the immune system from attacking the body in an abnormal way as in Auto
Immune Issues.

Here would be a sample program that might be considered... Try all 3 products
for 3 months, to properly evaluate, they are synergistic.     DISCLAIMER

NSI ArthriPower Ultra Multi Vitamin  -  4 capsules with breakfast and 4 with dinner.

Mega EFA -  2 with breakfast and 2 with dinner.

Astaxanthin -  Take 2 capsules 2 times a day - w/ breakfast & 2 w/ dinner. After 2 months
reduce to 1 cap twice daily.

Change the diet by removing all wheat and sugar, and use extra virgin olive oil and real
butter, do not use vegetable oils like soy, corn, safflower, cottonseed or canola oils which
contain omega 6 fatty acids (pro-inflammatory) and all hydrogenated oils like margarines
and adopt The Ideal Diet on my website.
If you decide to try these suggestions, give the program time, it will take 30-90 days to
see major improvements.




                                 

                                        
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These  
products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent the medical conditions or
diseases  highlighted on this page. They are only intended as a nutritional support.  Always
check with your health care professional before starting a supplemental program.
DISCLAIMER