Vitamins for arthritis and arthrosis. How to choose the most effective ones?

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It ranks second in frequency among joint diseases after osteoarthritis. It usually affects the legs, knees, fingers and wrists. The disease is diagnosed using x-rays by characteristic changes around the inflamed joints, so-called rheumatoid erosions. The disease begins with swelling of the joint and inflammation of the synovium surrounding the joint, which is accompanied by erosion and destruction of cartilage and bone. In addition, serum rheumatoid factor antibodies appear in the blood, which is a characteristic sign of this disease. The disease occurs with varying degrees of severity; its most severe forms are progressive and can lead to disability. Sometimes the disease, after an acute onset, goes into a stage of long-term remission.

Arthritis and arthrosis: what happens to the joint?

In order to understand which vitamins will be most useful for arthritis and joint arthrosis, it is important to know why they develop and how they differ.

Let's start with the reasons. The initial identical part of both words arthr- indicates that we are talking about joint pathology, since it comes from the Greek word arthon, translated meaning “joint”. The difference in diagnoses is indicated by the endings of the words -it and -oz. The first means the inflammatory nature of the disease, the second – non-inflammatory, degenerative-dystrophic.

In arthritis, the inflammatory process may involve the joint capsule and cartilage tissue. Inflammatory fluid (exudate) accumulates in the joint capsule, and the cartilaginous surfaces swell. When moving, a person experiences pain.

With arthrosis, the cartilage tissue of the articular surfaces of the articulating bones is damaged, thinned and destroyed. This process involves the area of ​​bone located directly under the articular cartilage, as well as the inner layer of the joint capsule (synovium). The tendon-ligamentous apparatus weakens. The periosteum, ligaments and other tissues adjacent to the joint ossify. Pathological bone growths of irregular shape form along the edges of the joints - osteophytes. In this case, just as with arthritis, the leading symptom of the pathology is pain.

Traditional methods of replenishing vitamin deficiencies

In the absence of medications, our ancestors used what was at hand to compensate for the deficiency of vitamins. For healthy joints, they took rich broths based on pork feet. The diet necessarily included seasonal greens, meat, fish, vegetables and cereals.

Instead of overseas fruits, they preferred those grown on their own land - this was the basis of a balanced balanced diet. In addition to it, nettle and dandelion were added to the diet - a storehouse of vitamins. Why not listen to the experience of our ancestors and try to establish a good diet according to their model?

Lingonberry – “the berry of immortality”, an unfairly forgotten source of vitamins

Causes of joint diseases

Why do arthritis and arthrosis develop? Scientists have not yet come to a consensus on the answer to this question. The probable causes are:

• genetic predisposition;
• infectious diseases that occur in severe form (arthritis);
• hormonal imbalance;
• overactivity of the immune system (arthritis);
• intense physical activity, overexertion;
• joint injuries;
• congenital pathologies in the development of joints;
• complications after operations;
• alcohol abuse;
• hypothermia of the body;
• frequent stressful situations.

The version of Russian professor V.I. Strukov deserves attention. The scientist noticed that joint diseases in most cases go hand in hand with another pathology of the musculoskeletal system - osteoporosis. This allowed him to put forward the assumption that arthritis and arthrosis are secondary, they are a consequence of developing disorders in bone tissue.

With osteoporosis, the processes of destruction of bone tissue begin to prevail over the creative ones. The thinnest partitions that form the skeleton of the bone become thinner. Cavities form in the bone tissue, over time they increase in size and serve as an obstacle to the natural removal of cell waste products to the outside.

As a result, these products - blood clots, intercellular fluid, lymph and others - accumulate in these cavities and provoke the development of an inflammatory process, which gradually spreads to nearby joint tissues. Arthritis occurs. Over time, the inflammatory process can become destructive. The cartilage begins to break down. Arthrosis develops. Without eliminating the root cause - metabolic disorders in bone tissue - and restoring the structure of this tissue, any treatment for joint diseases will be ineffective.

Why is it so important to take vitamins?

Vitamins affect all processes in the body - metabolism, fermentation, strengthening the immune system. This effect is complex: it is impossible to take only one component and get a positive result. For example, the well-known ascorbic acid works in tandem with vitamin P, strengthening blood vessels. Preventative intake of these vitamins will help the body cope with inflammation.

Against the background of a deficiency of vitamins or minerals, the body begins to draw energy from deep reserves and quickly becomes depleted. This affects all systems, especially those that bear the maximum physical load, primarily the musculoskeletal system. If the “fuel” does not come from outside, this leads to rapid abrasion of the cartilage surfaces, damage to the menisci and joints, and the appearance of cracks in the bones.

Types of arthritis and arthrosis

The choice of vitamins for arthritis of the joints, as well as for arthrosis, may be determined by the type of disease. The term “arthritis” is used for various joint pathologies of inflammatory nature. Highlight:

• infectious arthritis caused by direct penetration of infection into the joint;
• rheumatoid arthritis, provoked by disturbances in the functioning of the immune system, its excessive activity;
• gout associated with the deposition of uric acid in the joints;
• reactive arthritis, which is a reaction of the immune system to a previous infectious disease.

The word “arthrosis” can also hide several degenerative pathologies of the joint. Depending on the affected area, there are:

• gonarthrosis – arthrosis of the knee joint;
• coxarthrosis – arthrosis of the hip joint;
• uncovertebral arthrosis – arthrosis of the cervical vertebrae;
• vertebral arthrosis – arthrosis of the spine;
• patellofemoral arthrosis – damage to the cartilaginous part of the patella and femoral bone.

It is clear that vitamins for rheumatoid arthritis and infectious arthritis will differ depending on their composition, mechanism of action and the tasks that their intake will solve.

Vitamins for arthritis and joint arthrosis: popular, expensive and ineffective

The most prescribed supplements for joint diseases of an inflammatory and degenerative nature are those that consist of substances related to those present in the human joint. We are talking about so-called chondroprotectors based on chondroitin, glucosamine and hyaluronic acid.

The first is a component of complex proteoglycan proteins, which, together with collagen fibers, form the basis of cartilage. The second is produced by cartilage cells and is a multifunctional precursor in the production of glycosaminoglycans. The latter, in the composition of proteoglycans, are part of the intercellular substance of cartilage tissue and are contained in the intra-articular fluid. Hyaluronic acid is also a component of intra-articular fluid. All of these compounds are certainly necessary to maintain healthy joints. However, the results of numerous studies show that they perform their functions in one and only case: when they are produced by the body itself.

For example, at the beginning of this century, a group of American specialists studied the results of using chondroitin and glucosamine in more than 1,500 patients suffering from diseases of the knee joints. It turned out that both substances individually and in combination with each other had no effect on the condition of the movable joints. A year later, scientists from Switzerland came to the same conclusions, organizing a large-scale meta-analysis of 20 studies involving 3846 patients.

In 2012, the futility of intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid was proven in Belgium. Their effectiveness turned out to be comparable to that of ordinary saline solution.

Based on the results of scientific work, the Formulary Committee of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences assigned chondroitin the status of a drug with unproven effectiveness. Glucosamine has not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). An authoritative international organization whose activities are related to the study of osteoarthritis, OARSI, reported that these substances are unsuitable for the regeneration of articular cartilage. And their ability to relieve pain was rated as mixed.

The low effectiveness of the described chondroprotectors is explained by their low bioavailability, and also by their foreignness. After all, they are made from the cartilage of cattle and sea fish, the complete purification of which is almost impossible to achieve. At the same time, the prices of such drugs can hardly be called affordable. It turns out that by purchasing the above-described vitamins for arthritis and arthrosis, the patient gains one thing - hope. But you shouldn’t write off the effect of self-hypnosis. The history of medicine describes cases when it actually worked.

Efficacy and safety of different forms of vitamin D

There are two soluble forms of vitamin D on the pharmaceutical market: aqueous and oily. Until recently, active discussion about the benefits of one or another form of vitamin D was conducted from the standpoint of safety and bioavailability. Opinions have been expressed about a potentially high incidence of allergic reactions due to the presence of stabilizers and low bioavailability when treated with an aqueous solution. Experimental studies in vivo

showed that aqueous solutions of cholecalciferol undergo natural mycelization in the intestine with the formation of a surface layer of phospholipids under the influence of bile acids and dietary fats, which ensures successful absorption of the drug [30]. M. Rautureau and JC Rambaud (1981) convincingly showed that from the point of view of absorption, the most effective is an aqueous solution of vitamin D due to the effective formation of mixed micelles containing lipids and bile acid sequestrants [31]. A systematic review of 46 studies found that exposure to digestive lipases in the small intestine was able to partially inactivate an oil solution of colecalciferol [28]. In addition, the oil solution may prevent vitamin D from binding to proteins in the intestinal wall, limiting absorption [29]. This allows us to conclude that an aqueous solution of vitamin D is advantageous due to its higher bioavailability. Numerous studies have shown the safety of native colecalciferol, regardless of the form of the drug [32]. Adverse reactions in studies were observed when the daily single dosage exceeded 3000 IU [33].

In the Russian Federation, an aqueous solution of vitamin D for oral administration is registered - the drug DeTriFerol (Grotex LLC), drops for oral administration (colecalciferol 15,000 IU/ml) on a water basis. One drop of DeTriFerol contains 500 IU of native colecalciferol. To achieve the optimal dosage, patients with OA need to use 4 drops of the drug daily, and the duration of the course of treatment should be more than 12 months, which allows achieving additional chondroprotective and positive osteometabolic effects.

What vitamins should I take if I have rheumatoid arthritis?

According to statistics, the most common inflammatory joint disease is rheumatoid arthritis. In our country, 0.61% of the population suffers from it, and women are 3 times more likely than men, which indicates a hormonal basis for the development of the pathology. According to the Institute of Rheumatology, the average age of onset of the disease is 47–49 years.

The exact causes and mechanisms of development of joint pathology have not yet been established. However, it has been noted that in rheumatoid arthritis, cells of the immune system are overactive. They begin to produce special regulatory proteins that trigger an inflammatory response. As a result, a self-sustaining, constantly ongoing inflammatory process is formed. The main method of treating the disease today is to suppress the increased activity of the immune system.

A characteristic sign of rheumatoid arthritis is symmetrical damage to the joints of the hands and feet. The patient experiences pain during movement and at rest, stiffness, swelling and dysfunction of the moving joints. Without treatment, symptoms usually do not go away. In the later stages, joint tissues are destroyed, subluxations occur, and persistent deformities are observed. Body temperature may rise, weakness and sweating may appear, and weight loss may occur.

Some researchers note the relationship between the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis and the level of vitamin D in the human body, produced in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Vitamin concentrations peak in autumn and decline in spring. The disease exhibits higher activity in spring and lower activity in autumn. There is evidence that residents of northern countries are more likely to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis than southerners. Thus, in Finland, where the level of insolation is low, the prevalence of pathology is 0.8%, and in sunny Italy – 0.3%.

Some studies show that vitamin D3 supplementation in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis significantly reduces joint disease activity. The reason for this lies in the proven ability of the sun vitamin to reduce the activity of T cells - key cells in the development of autoimmune disorders, which include the pathology in question.

Today, vitamins have been created for the complex treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, allowing not only to adjust the level of vitamin D in the patient’s body, but also to regulate the concentration of sex hormones without replacing a person’s own hormones. Their effectiveness has been clinically proven. And, by the way, these vitamins for rheumatoid arthritis for women and men can be used for other types of arthritis, as well as for arthrosis. They will be discussed in more detail below.

Autoimmune diseases

We continue the series on autoimmune diseases - diseases in which the body begins to fight itself, producing autoantibodies and/or autoaggressive clones of lymphocytes. We talk about how the immune system works and why sometimes it starts to “shoot at its own people.” To maintain objectivity, we invited Doctor of Biological Sciences, corresponding member to become the curator of the special project. RAS, professor of the Department of Immunology of Moscow State University Dmitry Vladimirovich Kuprash. In addition, each article has its own reviewer, who delves into all the nuances in more detail.

This article was reviewed by Grigory Efimov, PhD, head of the laboratory of transplantation immunology at the Federal State Budgetary Institution Hematology Research Center.

The project partners are Mikhail Batin and Alexey Marakulin (Open Longevity / United Consultants of Finpravo).

Rheumatoid arthritis is a severe disease affecting 0.5 to 2% of people worldwide (Fig. 1) [1]. The situation in Russia is also disappointing: according to the pharmaceutical company Roche, about a million people suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. The majority of them are women: according to statistics, they get sick five times more often than men.

Figure 1. Global prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis. Data are provided for disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), an indicator that assesses the total “burden” of disease.
[1]

Arthritis is a collective term for almost any inflammatory disease of the joints. Accordingly, there are quite a lot of reasons for the development of this condition. The disease, called rheumatoid arthritis, is caused by damage to the joint by immune cells that attack the body's own tissues. Due to this attack, swelling, excessive growth of joint tissue and, ultimately, joint deformation develop.

Severe joint pain and immobility lead to disability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Unfortunately, there is no “magic pill” yet that can cure a person with this diagnosis. Modern medical practice involves only symptomatic treatment to relieve pain and suppress the inflammatory response. In addition, doctors have to deal with a large number of complications that accompany the disease. For example, kidney failure and infections are the leading causes of death in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The factors leading to the development of rheumatoid arthritis are still not fully known. Nevertheless, it is clear that in order to get sick, you must have a genetic and epigenetic predisposition to this. But this is not enough: the triggering factor for the development of rheumatoid arthritis in patients predisposed to it is stress, of completely different kinds - from previous infection and hypothermia to smoking and obesity.

Rheumatoid arthritis in art

Works of fine art can serve as unusual historical documents telling about what our ancestors suffered from. Thus, changes in the joints of the hands characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis are visible in the paintings of painters of the Flemish school [2], such as Jan van Eyck and Peter Paul Rubens (Fig. 2). The study of rheumatological lesions in painting provided the basis for the theory that this disease was brought to Europe from the New World only after the first voyage of Christopher Columbus. However, this assumption faces serious contradictions: in particular, a disease similar in symptoms to rheumatoid arthritis was described by Hippocrates in the 5th century BC.

Figure 2. “The Three Graces” (Peter Paul Rubens, 1638). The figure on the left shows finger deformities characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis. It is believed that the model for this grace was the artist’s wife, Elena Furman, who was 24 years old at that time.

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Osteomed Forte – vitamins for arthritis and joint arthrosis

The developer of the named vitamin-mineral complex, called Osteomed Forte , is Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences, founder of the Volga Region Osteoporosis Center V. I. Strukov. The scientist devoted more than 60 years of his life to the study of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.

The remedy he proposed is remarkable in that it forces the body to independently produce the substances necessary for tissue renewal, and does not offer it ready-made solutions - foreign compounds (hormones, carbohydrates, etc.). The drug affects the body as physiologically as possible, does not contradict the processes occurring in it, but potentiates them. How does Osteomed Forte ?

The main component of the unique Russian development is a natural substance - drone jelly. Preserved using a special technology that allows maximum preservation of the natural composition of the bee product, it is called HDBA organic complex. This is a real concentrate of easily digestible biologically active substances - vitamins, minerals, amino acids, sex hormones of insects, poly- and monounsaturated fatty acids. Hormones are of particular value for patients suffering from joint diseases. And that's why.

As mentioned above, V.I. Strukov considers arthritis and arthrosis to be secondary diseases that arise due to disruption of metabolic processes in bone tissue. Without normalizing these processes, any treatment of arthropathologies will not give the desired result. And in order to bring them back to normal, it is necessary to restore the balance of sex hormones - a proven fact.

The lion's share of patients with osteoporosis (and at the same time arthritis and arthrosis) are elderly people with reduced function of the gonads. Moreover, there are many times more women among them than men. This fact is explained by the catastrophic decrease in testosterone levels in the body of the fairer sex after the onset of menopause. Androgen is necessary for the division of bone-building cells and an increase in their number. But testosterone hormone replacement therapy is fraught with a large number of serious side effects.

This is where drone jelly comes in handy. Specialists from the Ryazan Beekeeping Research Institute have proven that it can stimulate the production of its own testosterone in the human body. In Osteomed Forte, its effect is enhanced by vitamins D3 and B6, as well as the easily digestible citrate form of calcium. While taking the drug, bone density increases, and the cavities responsible for the development of pathological processes in the joints decrease in size, and in some cases, completely close. Metabolic processes in bone tissue are restored. The development of arthritis and arthrosis stops. Proof of this is clinical studies organized by Sarvilina I. (Rostov-on-Don), Peshekhonova L.K. (Voronezh), Konshu N. (Omsk) and other domestic specialists.

What is the difference between fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins

All vitamins are divided into two groups – fat-soluble and water-soluble. Each of them performs a specific function: it is impossible to determine which of them are more important for the body.

• For example, riboflabin (B2) is involved in metabolism, and another water-soluble vitamin, thiamine, is responsible for nerve conduction. If the latter is deficient, polyneuritis of the lower extremities may develop.
• Fat-soluble - especially important for the health of joints, bones and ligaments. For example, vitamin D is involved in calcium phosphate metabolism, and when it is deficient, the musculoskeletal system very quickly fails. Vitamin K is responsible for the production of bone mass, so in its absence bones quickly break down.

You can replenish your vitamin D deficiency by basking in the warm sun.

Vitamins for arthritis to restore the joint

But what to do if measures to stop pathological processes in the joint were not taken in time, and the cartilage has already begun to deteriorate? Are there vitamins for arthritis and arthrosis that can start the regeneration process and speed it up? It turns out yes. And here nature comes to the rescue. But first things first.

The peculiarity of cartilage tissue is that the number of cells involved in its renewal and restoration (chondrocytes) is negligible. For example, in the joints of the intervertebral discs there are only 1% of the volume of the total cartilage. The use of non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs (the gold standard for the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis) further reduces this indicator. It has been proven that drugs in this group, used to relieve pain, swelling and redness, suppress the division of cartilage building cells and reduce the production of the main components of its matrix - proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans and hyaluronic acid.

A powerful stimulator of cartilage tissue growth is the growth hormone somatotropin. Through the liver, it influences chondrocytes, encouraging them to actively divide and restore cartilage. But the level of somatotropic hormone drops sharply with age: after 18–25 years, by 50% every 7 years.

Dandelion has a similar effect on joints. Yes, yes, the same weed that we have been unsuccessfully fighting for hundreds of years, trying to eradicate it from our garden plots. The plant contains substances that, like somatotropin, act on the liver and stimulate the production of compounds in the main chemical laboratory that encourage chondrocytes to actively divide and restore cartilage. These are taraxacin and taraxacerin. In addition, dandelion contains other substances that have a beneficial effect on the condition of joint tissue.

• Nicotinic acid (vitamin PP or B3). Promotes the production of your own growth hormone.
• Inulin. Normalizes intestinal function, thereby improving the absorption of magnesium, calcium, zinc and copper - minerals necessary for the complete restoration of cartilage tissue.
• Amino sugar. They stimulate the production of intra-articular fluid - a substance that nourishes cartilage cells, and maintain its optimal volume. They are raw materials for the production of collagen. Half of the intercellular substance of cartilage consists of the latter.
• Rubber. This is a natural elastomer. There is an assumption that its penetration into the intra-articular fluid helps to increase its elasticity.
• Arnidiol. Has an anti-inflammatory effect on the affected joint.
• Essential oils. They have analgesic properties.

It is very difficult to preserve all of the listed compounds in full when harvesting a plant and processing it. Some of them are destroyed under the influence of sunlight, others - under the influence of high temperatures. However, science does not stand still. Technologies have already appeared that make it possible to preserve the active substances of plants as much as possible. Thus, in Russia, based on the root of the medicinal dandelion, the drug Dandelion P using cryogenic technology for processing plant raw materials. This is a tablet form of the plant, which allows you to take advantage of its healing power without wasting time and effort.

Attention! You can already purchase this drug in online stores and pharmacies.