Recent research curcuminin for osteoarthritis etc ...

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Recent research curcuminin for osteoarthritis and strawberries and blueberries regulate b.p.

“Efficacy and Safety of a Curcumin-phosphatidylcholine Complex, during Extended Administration in Osteoarthritis Patients.”

Alternative MedicineReview, Dec. 21, 2010; Issue: 15.4.

While pharmaceutical solutions --  most notably  non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – help to alleviate the pain encountered in osteoarthritis,  these options are linked to gastrointestinal toxicity, increased blood pressure, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.  

Gianni Belcaro, from Chieti-Pescara University (Italy), and colleagues assessed the effects of a mixture containing 20% natural curcuminoids, 40% soy phosphatidylcholine, and 40% microcrystalline cellulose, against an NSAID.  Subjects in the active group received a daily dose of 1,000 mg of the curcumin mixture, providing a daily curcumin dose of 200 mg.  

After eight months , scores on a standardized osteoarthritis assessment decreased by 9.3 points among those receiving the curcumin mixture,  while no change was observed in the control group. 

Furthermore, scores for stiffness decreased from 7.4 to 3.2 in the curcumin-supplemented group, with again no significant changes in the control group.  

Writing that the data: “Evaluate(s) the clinical efficacy and safety of curcumin as an anti-inflammatory agent,” the team concludes that: “Significant improvements of both the clinical and biochemical end points were observed …  coupled with an excellent tolerability, [this] suggests that [a curcumin-phosphatidylcholine mixture] is worth considering for the long-term complementary management of osteoarthritis.”

“Habitual intake of flavonoid subclasses and incident hypertension in adults.”  

Am J Clin Nutr, February 2011, 93: 2 338-347; doi:10.3945/ajcn.110.006783.

Blueberries and strawberries are rich in a type of flavonoid compound known as anthocyanin.  Eric Rimm, from Harvard School of Public Health (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues analyzed data collected on  133,914 women and 23,043 men, surveying the subjects on their dietary intakes of flavonoids.  

At the close of the follow-up period of 14 years, 5629 cases of hypertension were documented in men and  29,018 cases in women.  The team found that the highest average intakes of anthocyanins (ranging from 16.2 to 21.0 milligrams per day) were associated with an 8% decrease in the risk of hypertension. 

Notably, the researchers observed that a significant 10% reduction in the risk of hypertension was observed in subjects ages 60-plus who consumed more than one serving of blueberries per week, as compared with people in the same age group consuming no blueberries.  Noting that: 

“Anthocyanins [demonstrate] vasodilatory properties …  from specific structural similarities (including the B-ring hydroxylation and methyoxylation pattern),” the team explains that the underlying biological mechanisms by which flavonoids regulate blood pressure include the effects of flavonoids on vascular blood flow, vascular reactivity, and glucose uptake.