7 Painful Conditions, 1 Effective Treatment
Painful inflammatory conditions like arthritis, gout, or IBD are typically treated with anti-inflammatory drugs.
But these drugs come with risks.
Prescription pain meds like steroids can cause extreme mood changes, bloating, and acne. Plus, they’re associated with an increased cancer risk when taken long-term.
Opioids are highly addictive. Even over-the-counter NSAIDs have side effects that range from dangerous (stomach pain and heartburn) to deadly (bleeding and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke).
Natural anti-inflammatories such as curcumin and ginger often work just as well and are FAR safer.
And now researchers have uncovered ANOTHER surprising one to add to the list.
Research reveals it directly reduces inflammation while improving pain in patients with osteoarthritis, psoriasis, osteoporosis, and more.
If you thought probiotics were only for resolving digestive issues, think again!
Gut health is at the center of many seemingly unrelated health conditions—including, it turns out, systemic inflammation.
In a recent review, researchers combed through 37 existing studies—most of which were randomized, controlled trials. Their goal was to get a bigger picture of the effect probiotics have against inflammation and autoimmune diseases.
For starters, the studies showed that probiotics reduce C-reactive protein (CRP), the marker of inflammation in the body.
So, not surprisingly, in study after study, probiotics had a positive impact on a long list of inflammatory conditions.
In patients with psoriasis (an autoimmune condition that affects the skin), probiotics reduced patient’s Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores. Plus, they improved symptoms in individuals with spondyloarthritis (spine arthritis).
Probiotics boosted bone mineral density in folks battling osteoporosis and osteopenia. And they eased symptoms in people with osteoarthritis (inflammation of the joints).
Taking probiotics improved the symptoms of people suffering from juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) as well as those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.
In people with gout (inflammatory arthritis that affects the joint of the big toe), probiotics improved the abnormally high levels of serum uric acid caused by the condition.
Since there were so many different studies included in the analysis, the type of probiotic, dosages, and even sources (sometimes it was through probiotic foods) were all over the place.
But the BOTTOM LINE is the same across the board: Probiotics can help improve all manner of inflammatory conditions.
Whether you take a supplement or eat foods with probiotics (yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir), when you take care of your gut health, your gut will help take care of the rest of your body.
P.S. Don’t stop with probiotics. Click through for the details on five MORE top choices for natural pain relief.
SOURCE:
Safety and efficacy of probiotic supplementation in 8 types of inflammatory arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 34 randomized controlled trials. Front Immunol. 2022;13:961325. Published 2022 Sep 23. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.961325
