Research Highlights

SierraSil Effective for Relief of Osteoarthritis
The results of a recent clinical trial offer hope for the possibility of symptom relief to millions suffering from osteoarthritis. The study’s report points to the speed and effectiveness of SierraSil, a unique nutraceutical mineral complex from Sierra Mountain Minerals, Inc. The trial’s findings have been published exclusively in the international Journal of Inflammation. The trial’s objective was to assess the safety and efficacy of SierraSil in providing symptomatic relief to patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. It concluded that SierraSil achieved excellent results for treatment. In contrast to placebo, participants reported significant improvement after just one week with SierraSil, with improvement increasing over time. Over 100 people participated in the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-centered clinical trial. The study was reviewed and approved by an independent ethics committee at K.J. Somaiya Medical College & Hospital in India.
For further information: 888-888-1464.

Pine Bark Reduces Osteoarthritis Knee Pain
A clinical study conducted at the University of Wurzburg, Germany, investigated the inhibitory effects of Pycnogenol pine bark extract in the development of pain associated with arthritis. Two groups of patients were supplemented with Pycnogenol, which is distributed in North America by Natural Health Science Inc., after an initial basal blood sample was taken. The first group consisting of five patients supplemented with 200 mg of Pycnogenol for five days, after which another blood sample was taken. The patients’ blood samples revealed a direct inhibitory effect on cyclooxygenase (COX) activity. Inhibition of COX-1 was apparent in three of five study participants. A second group of 10 patients supplemented with a one-time dose of 300 mg Pycnogenol to determine how quickly the effect was measurable. Only 30 minutes after ingestion of Pycnogenol, blood samples indicated a statistically significant increase in the inhibitory effects of both COX-1 and COX-2. The single-dose patient group demonstrated how quickly Pycnogenol induced measurable effects of COX inhibition. These results indicate the rapid bioavailability and bioeffectiveness of Pycnogenol. This study was published in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.
For further information: 312-853-3131.

Kolla2 Improves Joint Health in Canines
Collogen Nutraceuticals has revealed the results of a long-term study investigating the use of Kolla2 for joint health. The research finds that after taking Kolla2, a canine diagnosed with hip Dysplasia resumed its normal mobility and an X-ray showed normal hip joint cartilage. Hip Dysplasia is the malformation of the hip joints causing subsequent mobility limitations. At the time of diagnosis in 1999, after seeing X-rays showing “bilateral incongruity of joints,” the veterinary surgical examiner determined the dog had “definite bilateral hip Dysplasia.” Six years following continual daily supplementation with ArthroPet, a dietary supplement formula whose main active ingredient is Kolla2, results showed “definite filling-in of bilateral femoral necks” with the dog having clinically normal mobile activity. The filling-in is cartilage. Elderly canine subjects were also found to become viable pets again within a short period of time after using ArthroPet by markedly increasing their comfort and improving stiffness in their limbs. An additional canine subject with osteoarthritis and a missing leg was placed on ArthroPet and found to have his comfort and mobility level “improve at least 75% over his previous condition” after supplementing with ArthroPet for about six months. Based on these preliminary findings, additional canines are being recruited to be subjects of a larger clinical trial.
For further information: 866-262-6699.

Grape Seed Extract May Reduce Blood Pressure
Cardiovascular researchers at the UC Davis School of Medicine have concluded that adults suffering from metabolic syndrome may want to consider adding grape seed extract to their diet to help lower blood pressure. A one-month study was carried out on 24 male and female patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. The patients were divided into three groups of eight. The first group received a placebo while the second and third groups received 150 mg and 300 mg, respectively, of a new and unique patent-pending grape seed extract