Nix Arthritis Aches NATURALLY

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Red Pepper (Capsicum, various species). Red pepper causes some pain on the tongue but ironically interferes with pain perception elsewhere around the body. The pain-relieving chemical in red pepper, capsaicin, triggers the body to release endorphins, nature's own opiates. Red pepper also contains aspirin-like compounds known as salicylates.

You can make a tea by mixing red pepper into water, but it would be a whole lot more pleasurable to have your red pepper cooked in a variety of spicy dishes. For a quick hit, try a splash of hot-pepper sauce in tomato juice. Just biting into a hot pepper releases some of your own painkillers into your body.

Compounds in red pepper can also help relieve arthritis when you apply the herb to the skin. Researchers have discovered you'll get significant pain relief if you apply capsaicin cream directly to painful arthritic joints four times daily. In one study of this treatment, the capsaicin cream reduced RA pain by more than half. Osteoarthritis pain was reduced by about one third.

Look for capsaicin in the ingredient list of over-the-counter pain creams such as Zostrix and Capzasin-P or ask your doctor for a prescription capsaicin product. If you use capsaicin cream, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterward: You don't want to get it in your eyes or other tender places. Some people are quite sensitive to this compound, so test it on a small area of skin to make sure that it's OK for you to use. If it irritates your skin, don't use it.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica). Beyond stinging painful joints, there's another method of using this herb to treat arthritis: steaming the fresh leaves and enjoying then as a vegetable. Although you have to wear gloves to harvest the leaves, they lose their sting when cooked.

The Rheumatoid Disease Foundation suggests that three milligrams of boron daily may be helpful in treating both os teo- and rheumatoid arthritis. An analysis of stinging nettle provided by USDA scientists shows this herb contains 47 parts per million of the mineral boron, figured on a dry-weight basis. That means a 100-gram serving of stinging nettle - easily prepared by steaming several ounces of young, tender leaves - could contain more than the recommended amount of boron.

According to the Rheumatoid Disease Foundation, boron is effective because it plays a role in helping bones retain calcium. It also has a beneficial influence on the body's hormonal system, and hor mones play a role in helping the body maintain healthy bones and joints.

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