SHEA TREE EXTRACT COULD AID JOINT HEALTH

An Australian study has indicated that an extract from the African shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) could be beneficial for joint health. The study - utilising a supplement known as SheaFlex70 - was conducted at the Australian Centre for Complementary Medicine Education and Research in Brisbane, and received funding from BSP Pharma, the holder of the worldwide rights for the ingredient. Research took place over a period of 15 weeks, and evaluated a range of biomarkers in 89 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knees and/or hips to determine potential modes of action of SheaFlex70. Findings indicated that in participants with elevated levels of OA biomarkers, who were taking SheaFlex70, there were significant decreases in inflammation and cartilage breakdown, in addition to trend level decreases in bone remodelling as compared to the control group over the duration of the study. The researchers concluded that their findings indicate that in patients with the highest levels of osteoarthritis biomarkers, SheaFlex70 demonstrated multiple beneficial activities consistent with slowing the disease process. The authors however stress that these initial findings deserve further investigation in larger populations. The findings were published in the peer reviewed journal Phytotherapy Research.
(Source- Phytotherapy Research)