ASU and Osteoarthritis: A Positive Relationship
Millions of people all over the world suffer from osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease that breaks down the cartilage between the joints and causes pain and inflammation. Various dietary supplements are reputed to bring relief from pain, including something called avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU). Evidence is not only anecdotal; several clinical studies show that there is a positive relationship between ASU and osteoarthritis. In fact, they show that ASU is effective in relieving pain, at least in the short-term.
ASU is made up of the unsaponifiable parts of avocado oil and soybean oil, and the supplements are available in formulations of varying strengths. To determine the association between ASU and osteoarthritis, several double blind trials were conducted involving people who were suffering from osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. Avocado oil and soybean oil have many health benefits because they contain monounsaturated fat, which is good for the body. The effects of ASU versus a placebo were determined relating to pain and medication use.
The findings were mostly positive. ASU supplements not only provided relief from pain for many of the subjects. The studies also found that their need for painkillers was not as intense, thus reducing their intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's); they only needed a smaller amount of NSAID's to reduce pain and discomfort. Moreover, there was a reduction in joint space loss, another piece of good news that would seem to encourage the use of ASU. However, the trials shoed that ASU does not provide overnight relief from pain; it takes about three months before the effects are seen.
Another finding was that ASU was not as effective in treating hip osteoarthritis as in knee arthritis. But then, there was a significant difference in the length of time in the trials for treating these types of osteoarthritis. Apparently, there is a need for more clinical trials in order to come up with more conclusive results about the effectiveness of ASU in relieving symptoms.
Many people with arthritis and other diseases are attracted to natural medicine methods and products to make them feel better. So far, studies showing the positive association between ASU and osteoarthritis offer support for the use of natural products like avocado and soybean oil to effectively treat symptoms of the disease.
