 |
Arthritis is
an inflammation of the joints and surrounding tendons,
ligaments, and cartilage. Among the oldest known afflictions of
human beings, it can affect virtually every part of the body:
from the feet, to the knees, back, shoulders, and fingers.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), arthritis
effects range from slight pain, stiffness and swelling of the
joints to crippling and disability. There are three primary
types of arthritis: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and
gout.
Osteoarthritis is caused by the degeneration of the
primary large, weight bearing joints of the body.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is thought to be caused by
auto-immune conditions, wherein our own immune system attacks
our joints. With this condition, joints -most commonly the small
joints of the hand - become tender, swollen, and even deformed.
Gout is caused by a build-up in the body of uric acid,
which is found in high amounts in animal meats. When the level
of uric acid rises to unhealthy levels in the body, it
crystallizes causing sharp needle-like pain.
It is not uncommon for an arthritis sufferer to have varying
of degrees of more than one type of arthritis. Regardless of the
type of arthritis, the end result is pain and inflammation at
the sight of affliction. This fact has led to the popularity of
over-the-counter and prescription medications to combat
inflammation, and thus diminish pain. Medicines such as aspirin
and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) come with long
term side effects, including a worsening of the arthritic
condition. They work by interfering with hormone-like compounds
called prostaglandins.
Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids, Powerful Anti-Inflammatory
Agents
It is the prostaglandins in the body that regulate the
inflammatory response. In a healthy body, anti-inflammatory
prostaglandins are produced from dietary ingestion of healthful
seeds rich in omega oils (such as MegaOmega™
Organic Sprouted Flax). It is the high content of omega-3
fatty acids in these sources that leads to the production of
anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. Omega-3 oils have been
scientifically proven to be powerful agents. A high dietary
ingestion of omega-6 rich oils, such as corn, safflower, and
sunflower, as well as animal meats, can lead to the production
of inflammatory prostaglandins, worsening the symptoms of
inflammatory conditions. The high prevalence of arthritis and
other inflammatory conditions may be due largely to the fact
that we ingest far too much omega-6 rich oils and animal meats
in proportion to the amount of omega-3 fatty acids we consume.
This shift in dietary ingestion of omega-3 to omega-6 has been
well documented over the past 100 years. One study concluded
that arthritics suffer from a 40% deficiency in essential fatty
acids compared to other Americans, and over a 100% deficiency
compared to people from non-industrialized nations.
A Natural Alternative To Anti-inflammatory Medications
Unlike medications that interfere with prostaglandin
metabolism, omega-3 essential fatty acids naturally temper the
inflammatory prostaglandins resulting in a decrease in painful
inflammation. The difference between the drug approach and that
taken with omega-3 essential fatty acids is that omega-3's do
not come with the common side effects prevalent to the
medications. MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax
is also far less expensive than common anti-inflammatory
medications. Not only do the omega-3 oils come without side
effects, but they have been medically proven to benefit as many
as 60 other common afflictions. In other words, don't be
surprised if you notice other health improvements beyond your
expectations. Beyond the power of regulating prostaglandins,
omega-3 essential fatty acids have been found to augment the
immune system, lessening the severity of auto-immune conditions,
including rheumatoid arthritis.
There have been studies to validate the use of essential fatty
acids, such as the omega-3's in MegaOmega™
Organic Sprouted Flax and in fish, in arthritic
conditions. The difference between flax and fish oils is the
type of omega-3 they provide. Flax provides omega-3 in the form
of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Fish oil supplies omega-3 in the
form of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). ALA from flaxseed oil is
ultimately converted to EPA by the body. The advantages to MegaOmega™
Organic Sprouted Flax is that it is far less expensive,
and it does not contain the high levels of rancid by-products
(lipid peroxides) associated with fish oils.
The Practical Approach
While the causes of arthritis are truly multifactorial, part
of the problem can be owed to a clearly defined omega-3
essential fatty acid deficiency. Ingestion of foods such as MegaOmega™
Organic Sprouted Flax have been found to increase tissue
levels of the valuable omega-3's as well as favourably augmented
prostaglandins, averting inflammatory conditions. A practical
dietary approach would be to lessen the intake of potentially
inflammatory omega-6 oils, as well as animal meats, and
supplement your diet with anti-inflammatory MegaOmega™
Organic Sprouted Flax. An average daily dose of
MegaOmega™
Organic Sprouted Flax one-to-two tablespoons a day.
A daily intake of MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted
Flax may prove to be an important dietary consideration
for those suffering from arthritic, inflammatory and auto-immune
conditions.
|
|
|
|
Your feedback is important
to us.
Please tell us what you like
most about MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax Products
from your own experiences using them. At the beginning
of every month we will pick our favourite entry as the
winner and publish it on this site. In appreciation for
your time, you will receive a free MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax Product.
Click here for details |
|
