RESEARCH - OA and nutrition. From nutraceuticals to functional foods: a systemic review of the scientific evidence

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Research article

Osteoarthritis and nutrition. From nutraceuticals to functional foods: a

systematic review of the scientific evidence.

t G Ameye and Winnie SS Chee

Arthritis Research & Therapy 2006, 8:R127

Published 19 July 2006

The scientific and medical community remains sceptic regarding the efficacy

of nutrition for osteoarthritis despite their broad acceptation by patients.

In this context, this paper reviews systematically human clinical trials

evaluating the effects of nutritional compounds on osteoarthritis. We

searched the Medline, Embase and Biosis databases from their inception to

September 2005 using the terms: random, double-blind method, trial, study,

placebo and osteoarthritis. We selected all peer-reviewed articles reporting

the results of randomised human clinical trials (RCTs) in osteoarthritis

that investigated the effects of oral interventions based on natural

molecules. Studies on glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate were excluded. The

quality of the RCTs was assessed with an osteoarthritic specific

standardized set of 12 criteria and a validated instrument. A best-evidence

synthesis was used to categorize the scientific evidence behind each

nutritional compound as good, moderate, or limited. A summary of the most

relevant in vitro and animal studies is used to shed light on the potential

mechanisms of action. Inclusion criteria were met by 52 RCTs out of the 2026

identified studies. Good evidence was found for avocado soybean

unsaponifiables. Moderate evidence was found for methylsulfonylmethane and

SKI306X, a cocktail of plant extracts. Limited evidence was found for the

Chinese plant extract Duhuo Jisheng Wan, cetyl myristoleate, lipids from

green-lipped mussels and plant extracts from Harpagophytum procumbens.

Overall, scientific evidence exists for some specific nutritional

interventions to provide symptom relief to osteoarthritic patients. It

remains to be investigated whether nutritional compounds can have

structure-modifying effects.

http://arthritis-research.com/content/8/4/R127/abstract

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