Time for a New Joint Pain Remedy?

Evan Watson, NatureCity author & contributor

If you are suffering from joint pain, you may want to consider taking a new extract made from brown seaweed, according to a study recently published in the February 2010 issue of Biologics: Targets & Therapy.

For the study, researchers with the Center for Health and Wellbeing in Australia recruited 12 individuals suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee with an average age of 62.

The participants were given 100 mg or 1000 mg of brown seaweed extract for 12 weeks.

The researchers measured symptoms of osteoarthritis using an internationally-validated test called COAT (Comprehensive Osteoarthritis Test.) They found that the higher dose of seaweed extract reduced osteoarthritis symptoms by over 50% and the lower dose reduced symptoms by 18%.

The researchers said their findings may mean that osteoarthritis sufferers will be able to reduce or replace their drug intake. They noted that further studies involving more participants are needed to confirm their findings.

Previous studies have already shown that brown seaweed extract may improve blood sugar, lower cholesterol, boost immune system, alleviating joint pain, help with colon and liver health, and boost the immune system.

Another natural joint health product that has gained recent attention is shea tree extract, which was shown to reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis in a study published in the December 2009 issue of the journal Phytotherapy Research.

The joint health market is currently dominated by glucosamine, but results from recent studies have shown it may not be as effective as originally thought.