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How Does
Mangosteen Help with
Arthritis?
Is it a
Better Alternative than Conventional
Drugs?
In case you’ve been diagnosed with arthritis,
you must sit down with your doctor to
discuss the best treatment
regimen for you. There are plenty of drugs
available to treat the
disorder but there are drugs that work
best for a specific type of arthritis.
Patient response to these drugs also vary
so it can take
time to determine the kind of treatment
that would work best for you.
The most commonly
prescribed medication
for arthritis
is a group of drugs called non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs). They are also among the most
common pain relief
medications used today.
NSAIDs are highly effective in relieving arthritic
pain but they can also have certain
side effects. In order
for you to better understand the mechanism of
action of these drugs,
you must have an idea about pain itself.
Pain is
basically your body’s alarm which
tells you that something is wrong.
Simply put, pain
is the result of impulses sent from pain receptors
called free nerve endings to your brain. For
instance, if you have a
wound, the damaged cells release compounds
called prostaglandins.
These chemicals are known to cause not only
tissue swelling and pain but
they
also amplify the nerve impulses coming from
the pain
receptors. In short, you feel more intense
pain.
Pain
has two major types:
neuropathic and nociceptive. Neuropathic pain is normally
the result
of injuries to the nervous system, such as
the pain associated
with
shingles
or diabetes. On the other hand, nociceptive
pain is caused
by injury to tissues outside the nervous
system, such as the chronic
pain of arthritis.
NSAIDs function on the cellular level. They
block the effects of enzymes particularly
cyclo-oxygenase-1 (COX-1)
and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzymes which
catalyze the conversion
of arachidonic acid to inflammatory agents
such as prostaglandins and
prostacyclins. By simply blocking the
cyclo-oxygenase enzymes, NSAIDs
essentially prevent your body from producing
prostaglandins. As a
result, you feel
less pain and
decreased
swelling.
Mangosteen
Benefits: Xanthones
found in mangosteen function like a
COX-2 inhibitor without eliciting the
development of stomach ulcers.
Gastrointestinal
Problems:
There are five types of prostaglandins in your
body. One type of
prostaglandin produced by COX-1 enzyme and an
analog called
Misoprostol helps protect the stomach lining.
Regular intake of
NSAIDs blocks COX-1 enzymes and thereby
negating the protective
function of the prostaglandin. Consequently,
NSAIDs cause a
significant increase in the prevalence of
gastrointestinal problems
such as diarrhea and indigestion.
Hypertension and Renal
Damage:
The mechanism of renal damage spurred by
NSAIDs is due to changes in
renal hemodynamics. NSAIDs have been shown to
reduce the blood flow
to the kidneys and affect the function of the
nephrons. As a result,
salt and fluids are retained in your body. The
higher the volume of
salt and fluids in your bloodstream, the
higher your blood pressure.
If the problem goes unchecked, it can cause
irreversible damage to
your kidneys leading to eventual kidney
failure, which may later
require dialysis.
Mangosteen Benefits: Recent studies have shown
that Xanthones have
no harmful influence on blood coagulation
and increases blood
perfusion rate in the kidneys, thereby
enhancing renal function while
helping in the regulation of salt and fluid
balance in the body.
Allergic Reactions:
Some people are allergic to NSAIDs and may
develop dyspnea
when an NSAID is taken. People with asthma
are at a higher risk for having severe
allergic reaction to NSAIDs.
Health experts generally recommend that
people with asthma refrain
from taking NSAIDs.
Aside from asthma, there are other allergic
reactions that have been associated with
NSAIDs, they range from mild
to life threatening. The common reactions
include skin affectations
such as swelling and hives. There are also
respiratory problems like
rhinitis.
Mangosteen
Benefits:
Over the last three
decades, a lot of studies
on xanthones have proven its efficacy in
treating various types of
allergies. This is due to the fact that
xanthones block the formation
of histamines – substances that trigger the
body’s allergic
response.
COX-2
inhibitors are a form of
NSAID that
directly target COX-2. Selectivity for COX-2
reduces the risk of
gastrointestinal problems such as peptic
ulceration. COX-2 inhibitors
only block the COX-2 enzyme that’s why these
drugs don’t affect
the prostaglandins that protect the lining
of your stomach.
However, just like other
drugs there is a
drawback. COX-1 and COX-2 work in tandem to
accomplish certain
biological tasks. COX-1 also helps in the
production of a chemical
that stimulates blood clotting and
vasoconstriction. These effects
are being regulated by another chemical called
prostacyclin. It
exerts an opposite effect to that of COX-1
because it prevents the
formation of the platelet plug and is likewise
a potent vasodilator.
However, prostacyclin is manufactured, in
part, with the aid of COX-2
enzymes. Therefore, blocking only COX-2 means
that the effects of
blood clotting go unchecked. Consequently, it
increases the risk of myocardial infarction
and strokes.
This is precisely the reason why COX-2
inhibitors have been recalled
from the market.
Mangosteen
contains antioxidants
and remains to be the only
thing in nature to
embody a broad spectrum of a new
type of phytonutrients called xanthones. The
two most valuable
xanthones found in the mangosteen have
been called alpha and gamma mangosteen.
To
date, more than 40 different classes of xanthones
have been identified in mangosteen. are
powerful,
life-enhancing compounds. In fact, Xanthonesxanthones
are by far the most
potent antioxidant known to man. It has been
claimed to be more
powerful than both Vitamins C and E.
Additionally, the most dynamic
and biologically active type of xanthone is
found in mangosteen.
Xanthones
are naturally occurring compounds that have
recently caught the
attention of health and fitness experts and
have earned high regard
from researchers and scientists alike. Xanthones have
been thoroughly
studied for their medicinal and pharmaceutical
properties.
Based on the results of research studies, the
xanthones found in mangosteen can suppress
both acute and chronic
inflammation, and function like a COX-2
inhibitor without triggering
any harmful side effects. Another research
conducted to determine
mangosteen’s effect on the inflammatory
process found out that xanthones
have no deleterious influence on blood
coagulation and they
don’t stimulate the development of stomach
ulcers.
Furthermore, testimonies from a number of
patients suffering from chronic arthritis
claimed that the patients
were able to stop or reduce their
prescription drugs. The benefits
they reaped from mangosteen
became evident in as little as a couple
of days to beyond three months.
Mangosteen
and Arthritis Precaution: So
far, mangosteen
may not provide the elusive
cure to but it offers that extra ounce of
energy required
to counter the effects of the disease,
effectively alleviates arthritisarthritic
pain and helps you manage the side
effects caused by
medications. However, it is worth noting that
you may need some time
to determine if mangosteen
works for you. Likewise, if you are taking
any medications, it is recommended to consult
your physician
regarding any possible drug interaction.
Finally, taking regular mangosteen
supplements
offer three major health benefits:
Anti-Inflammatory
Properties: The
benefits derived from mangosteen
largely come from its potent
anti-inflammatory effects since it effectively
blocks the
cyclo-oxygenase enzymes without causing any
gastrointestinal side
effects. Mangosteen
also helps to reduce the pain and
swelling of the
affected joints.
The anti-inflammatory properties of mangosteen
have been compared to those of
Dexamethasone, one of the most
powerful anti-inflammatory prescription
drugs.
However,
Dexamethasone is known to have a long
list of adverse side effects. Mangosteen
has none of the reported side effects
caused by
Dexamethasone as well as other
anti-inflammatory medications.
Antioxidant: Mangosteen
contains a truckload of antioxidants. The
mechanism behind
the development of arthritis
is the gradual degeneration of joint
structures. It has been theorized that as
people age, the body’s
ability to recuperate and repair the damage
at the cellular level
declines. Antioxidants work on the cellular
level by effectively
eliminating harmful free radicals, thereby
enhancing the body’s
innate healing process.
Increase
in Energy Helps to
Fight Arthritis:
If you’re suffering from arthritis, your
physician most likely
referred you to a physical therapist for
treatment sessions. One of
the best approaches in physical therapy when
it comes to the
management of arthritis
is the inclusion of an exercise program to
improve joint dynamics. A significant
increase in energy can help you
go through your routine exercise program. In
most cases, the mere
anticipation of pain while beginning an
exercise program can be quite
daunting. Mangosteen
supplements help provide the energy
needed and
also aids in the management of pain and
anxiety.
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(Online Since
October 15, 2005.)
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