Abstract

A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE ON NUTRACEUTICAL SUPPLEMENTS IN THE MANAGEMENT AND PREVENTION OF ARTHRITIS

Vivek Kumar, Shayara Bano, Kavita Gupta and Rama Shukla*

ABSTRACT

Arthritis is a chronic disease that primarily affects the musculoskeletal system, specifically the joints. Arthritis is characterized by pain, swelling, and stiffness in one or more joints as a result of inflammation. Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common and debilitating chronic diseases that affect the elderly. Its most noticeable feature is the progressive destruction of articular cartilage, resulting in impaired joint motion, severe pain, and, eventually, disability. Recent research focuses on the potential of nutraceuticals for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. There is strong clinical evidence that devil's claw works well for pain relief. To determine its efficacy, however, high-quality clinical trials are required. There have been no serious side effects reported for any of the fruits or herbs. Overall, there is scientific evidence that certain nutritional interventions can provide symptom relief to osteoarthritic patients. It remains to be seen whether nutritional compounds can change the structure of proteins. In this review, we highlight some of the many existing nutraceutical compounds that, due to their ease of availability, could be used as integrators in a daily diet, such as olive oil, fish oil, and botanical extracts used as non-pharmacologic treatment.

Keywords: Nutraceuticals, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Arthritis, Pain relief.