Rose Hips: Important New Supplement for Arthritis
Rose hips has emerged as a surprising and important natural remedy for osteoarthritis. Recently, a review put together all the research on rose hips to see just how strong the evidence is. Turns out, it’s strong . . . .
Though the rose flower has received all the attention in song and sonnet, the neglected rose hip has been receiving the attention in scientific study. If you leave the rose flower on the bush instead of clipping it off, a small apple-like fruit forms in its place. That apple-like fruit is the rose hip.
Several studies have examined the impact of rose hips on osteoarthritis. The first several positive studies were done without placebo controls. However, in several recent studies, rose hip supplementation has passed the test of the placebo-controlled, double-blind study.
The review identified 3 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies that compared 5g a day of rose hips to a placebo. The rose hips provided significantly greater benefit in all 3 studies. The rose hips improved joint movement and pain, and people taking rose hips had to take fewer pain killers.
Three studies have tested whether rose hips is still effective at the much lower dose of only 2.25g a day. 2 out of 3 of the studies found a benefit for rose hips even at this dose. One found improvement in inflammation (C-reactive protein) and improvement in symptoms in people under 84kg (185.2 lbs). One found improvement in joint motion.
The reviewers also added a study that found that rose hips helps rheumatoid arthritis. The study was a double-blinded and gave either 5g rose hip powder or a placebo to 89 people with rheumatoid arthritis. At both 3 and 6 months there was significant improvement in the rose hips group compared to the placebo group. At the end of the study, physician assessment, quality of life and physical activity were improved significantly more in the rose hips group.
The reviewers suggest that the best rose hips supplements may include both the seeds and the shells of the rose hip.
A much earlier meta-analysis of 3 controlled studies found that rose hips reduces the pain of osteoarthriris by a significant 63% (Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2008;16:965-972).
Botanics 2016;2016(6):59-73
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