Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease; a disease when, for unknown reasons, the body starts to attack itself. In Rheumatoid arthritis the attack occurs on the membranes (synovial membranes) of a joint which becomes chronically inflamed – this can cause pain, swelling, morning stiffness, muscle wasting and osteoporosis. Eventually bone and cartilage is damaged. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect several joints and commonly occurs in people aged between 30 and 50. The condition is three times more common in women than men and seems to run in families. Conventional treatment centres around pain relief and reduction of inflammation, most commonly with drugs called NSAIDs, Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. The disease occurs due to the gradual degeneration of the cartilage which lines the joints. This causes pain, swelling and restricted movement. The condition most commonly affects weight bearing joints such as the hips and knees but may also attack the joints in the hands and feet. Women are twice as likely as men to be affected and the most common form of treatment are NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, to relieve pain and reduce swelling/inflammation.
Arthritis Care is an organisation there to help people with all forms of arthritis – please visit their website for further information.
Recently I was made aware that rose hip could be beneficial to individuals suffering with arthritis. Rosehips are a particularly rich source of vitamin C and antioxidant flavonoids (plant chemicals). Research seems to suggest that standardised rose-hip powder made from the seeds and husks of fruit from a wild variety of English rose-hip, called Rosa canina, may be helpful in reducing inflammation and hence be useful in rheumatoid- and also osteo- arthritis.
Laboratory cell studies (1,2,3,4) first indicated that rosehip may have anti-inflammatory properties and more recently studies using rosehip as a dietary supplement have found that it may be useful for those suffering from rheumatoid (5,6) and osteoarthritis (7,8,9,10)
A recently published study (5) was carried out to investigate if a rose-hip (Rosa canina) supplement could reduce symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The study was well designed and patients received treatment with 5g capsulated rose-hip powder 5g daily or matching placebo for 6 months. After 6 months those receiving the rosehip had an improved score according to a recognised Health Assessment Questionnaire whereas the placebo group actually had a worsened score after 6 months. There was also indication that physical scores were improved with rosehip supplementation. The authors of the study conclude that their results indicate that patients with rheumatoid arthritis may benefit from additional treatment with rose hip powder. An earlier study (6) found that 5g of rosehip daily seemed to reduce joint tenderness and increase quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Both of these studies are preliminary and further research trials would be necessary before a firm conclusion can be drawn, but the evidence adds to previous research indicating that antioxidants and flavonoids are useful in rheumatoid arthritis
An analysis(8) of different studies looking at the potential use of rosehip for the treatment of osteoarthritis found that supplementation with rosehip may be useful in pain reduction when compared to placebo. The results indicated that rosehip may be more effective than paracetamol in reducing pain in osteoarthritis sufferers. The authors of the study call for larger, long-term clinical trials.
The amount of rosehip used in studies has been around 5g daily. Supplements made from powdered rosehip are easy to find. More evidence is needed before firm recommendations for the use of rosehip in arthritis can be made however, you may wish to discuss the use of such a supplement with your health professional. Please read the posts linked at the start of this piece for more interesting information on nutrients that may be useful in the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
(1)Larsen E. Et al. 2003. An antiinflammatory galactolipid from rose hip (Rosa canina) that inhibits chemotaxis of human peripheral blood neutrophils in vitro. J Nat Prod. 66: 994–995.
(2)Winther K. Et al. 1999. The anti-inflammatory properties of rose-hip. Inflammopharmacology.7: 63–68.
(3)Kharazmi A & Winther K. 1999. Rose hip inhibits chemotaxis and chemiluminescence of human peripheral blood neutrophils in vitro and reduces certain inflammatory parameters in vivo. Inflammopharmacology. 7: 377–386.
(4)Schwager J et al. 2008. Anti-inflammatory and chondro-protective effects of rose hip powder and its constituent galactolipids GOPO. Poster presentation at the World Congress of Osteoarthritis (OARSI), Rome, 18–21 September 2008.
(5) Willich SN et al. 2010. Rose hip herbal remedy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis – a randomised controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 17(2):87-93.
(6) Rossnagel K et al. 2007. Can patients with rheumatoid arthritis benefit from the herbal remedy rose-hip? : a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial January-June 2007. Rheum Dis. 66 (Suppl II): 603.
(7) Chrubasik C et al. 2008. A one-year survey on the use of a powder from Rosa canina lito in acute exacerbations of chronic pain. Phytother Res. 22(9):1141-8.
(8) Christensen R et al. 2008. Does the hip powder of Rosa canina (rosehip) reduce pain in osteoarthritis patients?–a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 16(9):965-72
(9) Chrubasik C et al. 2008. A systematic review on the Rosa canina effect and efficacy profiles. Phytother Res. 22(6):725-33.
(10) Winther K et al. 2005. A powder made from seeds and shells of a rose-hip subspecies (Rosa canina) reduces symptoms of knee and hip osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Scand J Rheumatol. 34(4):302-8.
Written by Ani Kowal
Related posts:
