Rosehip 'better than glucosamine' for osteoarthritis

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/6175140/Rosehip-better-than-glucosamine-for-osteoarthritis.html

Rosehip is more effective than glucosamine, a leading treatment, at easing the pain and symptoms of arthritis sufferers, scientists claim.

By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
Published: 7:00AM BST 12 Sep 2009

Scientists claim rosehip is better for arthritis than glucosamine The pain-relieving properties of rosehip, which has previously been linked to reduced inflammation in osteoarthritis, have been suggested for decades.

Now scientists have found that powder made from a wild variety of rosehip, Rosa canina, is better at reducing pain in patients than glucosamine, a treatment prescribed by some GPs.

It is hoped that the fruit of the plant could bring relief to the more than two million sufferers of osteoarthritis in Britain, many of whom suffer acute pain.

A Danish research team, who have just presented their findings at the World Congress on Osteoarthritis in Montreal, said more consistent benefits can be gained from taking a rose-hip powder supplement.

When the rose-hip studies were analysed in the same way as the glucosamine studies, the rosehip powder was found to be markedly better, it was said.

<SNIP>

I wonder if it would help my dog (I don't know anyone else with arthritis)? A friend gave me a few bags of rose hips which I grind up and steep as a tea (with comfry) once in awhile. I thought they were just good for the immune system.

I wonder how much of the effect is related to that or to other compounds in the powder or perhaps there's a synergistic effect.

I have the impression that glucosamine can be very effective for treating mild osteoarthritis, but that you can't be confident of what you're buying since as a supplement it is unregulated.

So people like me won't have a conflict with Rosehips.

Also, that Omega 3 fatty acid that's so good for one? We're told we need to eat fish to get it? Sorry, it can also be found in walnuts, once again proving there is usually a botanical source for what you need.

You can get rose hip anywhere and it's not nearly as expensive as glucosamine/chondroitin

(which has something to do with deteriorated cartilage, I think)

not pain treatment.

I've been taking glucosamine for years on the recommendation of a chiropracter and it's really reduced my symptoms, but it took a couple weeks to take effect. I never thought of it as a treatment for pain. I'm also surprised at the article's claim of "no evidence" for benefits from glucosamine. I was pretty sure there were studies that had proven its benefit.

Anyway if I see corroboration on the rose hips effect I'll check it out. Thanks for posting!

that God gave us everything we need here (or it evolved - whatever you believe). We all know that nobody's really looking very hard because it's not profitable.

I hope it is a good piece of work but I'll wait until its actually shown to be publishable. Also - check the amt used and make sure the Rosehip you buy is at least as concentrated and is actually rosehip because their is no requirement for natural products to contain what they say it contains.

doi:10.1016/j.joca.2008.03.001

Does the hip powder of Rosa canina (rosehip) reduce pain in osteoarthritis patients? – a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

R. Christensen M.Sc.†, E.M. Bartels Ph.D., D.Sc.†, ‡, R.D. Altman M.D.§, Professor, A. Astrup M.D., Ph.D., Professor and H. Bliddal M.D., Ph.D.†, ,

†The Parker Institute, Musculoskeletal Statistics Unit, Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark

‡Copenhagen University Library, Denmark

Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

§David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA


Received 21 November 2007; accepted 2 March 2008. Available online 14 April 2008.

Summary

Objective
Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) – of a hip powder of Rosa canina (rosehip) preparation for symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), in order to estimate the empirical efficacy as a pain reducing compound.

Method
RCTs from systematic searches were included if they explicitly stated that OA patients were randomized to either rosehip or placebo. The primary outcome was reduction in pain calculated as effect size (ES), defined as the standardized mean difference (SMD). As secondary analysis the number of responders to therapy was analyzed as Odds Ratios (OR), and expressed as the Number Needed to Treat (NNT). Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) methods were applied for the meta-analyses using mixed effects models.

Results
The three studies (287 patients and a median trial-duration of 3 months) – all supported by the manufacturer (Hyben-Vital International) – showed a reduction in pain scores by rosehip powder (145 patients) compared to placebo (142 patients): ES of 0.37 <95% confidence interval (CI): 0.13–0.60>, P = 0.002. Test for homogeneity seemed to support that the efficacy was consistent across trials (I2 = 0%). Thus it seems reasonable to assume that the three studies were measuring the same overall effect. It seemed twice as likely that a patient allocated to rosehip powder would respond to therapy, compared to placebo (OR = 2.19; P = 0.0009); corresponding to a NNT of six (95% CI: 4–13) patients.

Conclusions
Although based on a sparse amount of data, the results of the present meta-analysis indicate that rosehip powder does reduce pain; accordingly it may be of interest as a nutraceutical, although its efficacy and safety need evaluation and independent replication in a future large-scale/long-term trial.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=%23TOC%236979%232008%23999839990%23695958%23FLA%23&_cdi=6979&_pubType=J&_auth=y&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=90651b690bcec1a6af5029a9c33c8491

The link is just to a page at the UK Telegraph. It does not cite an article in a scientific journal, nor does it name any of the researchers in a Danish research team.

It does mention that findings were presented at the World Congress on Osteoarthritis, and a quick search of articles concerning them is that they have had numerous substances being recommended then unrecommended in the never-ending search for "natural" remedies for this disease, such as glucosamine and ginger.

Obviously, this illness is a tough nut to crack, and may someday only be cured at the genetic level, but switching around from this plant to that plant seems to be about all that they seem to be able to do. Take your rose hips, if you want, but don't be surprised when the next 'miracle' herb comes around.

I did not know that.

but pushed aside when the next big thing comes along. Nobody actually ever comes out and says, "What we recommended before is BS," because that would cast doubt on what they're recommending now.

It's just that in the whole "natural" supplement business, there always seems to be a need to make the contents of one's medicine cabinet obsolete every couple of years.

edit to add:
my sister's been buying rosehips from the Shakers for decades, and I see now that you can buy from them online

http://www.shaker.lib.me.us/catalog.html#Teas