Four cups of tea a day ‘raise arthritis risk’
From The Daily Mail On-line
Drinking a lot of tea increases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, researchers claimed yesterday.
Their study of 76,000 women found that four or more cups a day caused the highest risk.
It made the women 78 per cent more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those who drank no tea.
Arthritis risk: women who drink four or more cups a day were 78 per cent more likely to experience problems, a study found. (Posed by model)
Drinking any amount of tea increased the chance by 40 per cent, compared with those who abstained entirely. No similar effect was found with coffee.
The findings were presented at the annual congress in Rome of the European League Against Rheumatism.
Christopher Collins, of Georgetown University Medical Centre in the U.S., said he was surprised by the differences between coffee and tea. ‘We set out to determine whether tea or coffee consumption, or the method of preparation of the drinks was associated with an increased risk [of rheumatoid arthritis],’ he added.
‘It is surprising that we saw such differences in results between tea and coffee drinkers.
‘This does make us wonder what it is in tea, or in the method of preparation of tea that causes the significant increase in risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.’
The researchers also examined whether filtered coffee versus unfiltered coffee affected the results, and also looked at the impact of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. However, they found no significant associations with rheumatoid arthritis or the autoimmune disease lupus.
The women in the study were aged 50 to 79 and filled in questionnaires on their daily intake of coffee and tea.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, progressive and disabling auto-immune disease which affects around 350,000 people in the UK. Three times more women get it than men and it usually starts between the ages of 40 and 60.
The disease can cause swelling and damage to the cartilage and bone around the joints, most commonly the hands, feet and wrists.
Professor Collins said he did not recommend that people change their teadrinking habits based on the research.
‘It’s definitely an association but the risk is very small,’ he said.
Read More6 simple things – improve your circulation, help your arthritis
Anything that improves the circulation will encourage more oxygen to the muscles and joints, improving detoxification, reducing acidity, encouraging healing, reducing inflammation and pain.
1) Cinnamon spice into your diet every day – it is a warming spice, known to increase the blood circulation especially to the joints. This will encourage nutrients and waste to be moved in and out the joints more efficiently. Use the powder – for instance in oatmeal.
2) Essential Oils Take a teaspoon of carrier oil like olive oil and mix in 2 drops of rosemary pure essential oil and 2 drops of basil pure essential oil. Take the mixture and rub into your feet and then put on a pair of socks, probably best done at night. The feet are highly absorbent and within 20 to 30 minutes the essentials oils will be in the blood stream.
3) Dry Skin Brushing helps to improve the lymph and the circulation, helping to detox the body in general. Take a dry brush and lightly brush your dry skin in long strokes in the direction of the heart for about 5 minutes every most days before you have a shower or bath.
4) Ginger Tea is excellent for increasing the circulation in general. The other benefit to taking ginger is it has anti-inflammatory properties, helping to quell aches and pains. Finely chop two teaspoons of fresh ginger and place in a cup, add boiled water and cover and steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Drink 1 cup a day.
5) Rosemary Oil Rosemary herb is an excellent herb for increasing the circulation and cleansing. How to make rosemary oil for salad dressings – fill a large jar (with a lid) ¾ full with fresh rosemary, then pour olive oil over the leaves making sure the rosemary is completely covered, them secure the lid. Leave in a warm place (but out of sun light) for 14 days. Shake the jar every day. After 14 days remove the rosemary and store the oil in a dark glass bottle.
6) Hot and Cold Showers also known as hydrotherapy, improves your circulation. Stay under the hot water until your skin turns pink then turn on the cold water encouraging the blood to rush to the internal organs. Stay a short while or as long as you can stand it, then once again turn on the hot water. Repeat the process a couple more times.
Read MoreArthritis eases up when you’re not dehydrated, a common problem
Water is good for you, everyone knows it and would agree. You are probably thinking to yourself this is rather obvious and doesn’t need stating. However, research is revealing a different picture, I might be stating the obvious but most people are ignoring this simple fact. You seriously need to think about your fluid intake, if you want to feel better and help with those aches and pains of arthritis. I come across a lot of tired people that certainly look older than they are and tell me they feel older than they are. There are many reasons for fatigue, aches and pains but one of the reasons is dehydration. Dehydration is common.
Drinking enough water relieves pain and joint stiffness of arthritis. If you suffer from headaches, maybe you are not drinking enough hydrating fluids. When you are dehydrated your cells contract and retain waste products. When you are well hydrated your cells expand allowing them to get rid of their waste products, allowing them to maintain the correct pH balance, enabling the cells to take on nutrients, slowing down the aging process. This very important aspect of health is often over looked by practitioners and patients a like. Being hydrated is fundamental to any health and pain relieving program. But surprisingly is easier said than done for some people.
We all know how important water is, no need to explain. Or is there? Survey after survey tells a completely different story. We are not taking water seriously enough. Research has revealed that many people are dehydrated and that some people are very dehydrated. As we get older the situation seems to get worse. Being dehydrated is very aging, a bit like a dried up old prune. Our organs find it extremely stressful trying to function correctly under these circumstances. Over a period of time being in this state will have some very serious health consequences.
However many people including children tell me how they drink plenty during the day.
It is possible to drink yourself into dehydration? The answer is yes it is.
It is estimated that a lot of people are only getting one third of the hydrating fluids they need!
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Did you know? Drinking 5 to 8 glasses of water a day reduces are risk of all sorts of cancer and other diseases. |
Water is -
a) major component of blood
b) prevents constipation
c) flushes out toxins
d) prevents muscle stiffness
e) prevents joints from being painful as in arthritis
f) maintains a normal metabolism
g) temperature control
h) needed for protein digestion
I am often asked ‘how much water should I drink’?
The answer will depend on several things like your activity levels, the climate, how much you sweat, how much alcohol you drink, the amount of stress in your life, how much tea and coffee you drink and what you eat – some food is very dehydrating and some are hydrating.
The average person will need about 6 to 8 glasses a day. This amount would increase if for instance if you are in training and live in a hot country.
What are the symptoms of dehydration? This list of symptoms is not exclusive to dehydration it must be added.
Before you consider taking a medication, (which by the way is also dehydrating) for the symptoms listed below, first make sure your are well hydrated and you are eating well. Many people find these symptoms disappear or at the very least lessen to a large extent, it may take a week or two before you notice a difference.
* frequent headaches
* spots and blemishes
* stiff muscles
* painful joints
* dry skin
* saggy skin
* lack of energy
* hunger
* fluid retention
* fuzzy thinking
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Did you know? Research shows that the brain gets confused between hunger and thirst. People often eat when in fact our bodies are crying out for a hydrating drink. |
Balance It is important to start increasing your consumption of hydrating drinks and decrease your intake of dehydrating drinks.
Hydrating fluids – water, herbal teas, fruity teas, vegetable juices and fruit juices diluted with at least 50% water
Dehydrating fluids – coffee, tea, sodas, milk shakes, alcohol, chocolate drinks etc
Read MoreArthritis improved with 7 things you can do now?
These are important aspects that accelerate the aging process and speed up degeneration in general, contributing to a poor quality of life with more suffering than necessary, especially in most forms of arthritis.
1) Inflammation can be triggered by a number of things, what you eat and drink has a huge impact on your inflammatory responses, encouraging pain and destruction. It is very important to improve your diet in every way you can. This will have a huge impact on your condition.
2) Free-radicals – encourage degeneration such as in arthritis conditions. Take some anti-oxidants.
3) Poor detoxification – organs need certain nutrients to produce specific enzymes that neutralize and remove toxins from the body this is especially true of the liver and arthritis.
4) A negative outlook on life in general will impact on every cell in the body producing destructive chemicals that speed up degeneration. Of-course there are times when you will feel a little down that is natural but to always see the tank as half empty as opposed to half full is a problem. The tank may still measure half way up but they are two completely different ways of looking at the same thing.
5) Poor posture puts a strain on joints. Muscles tighten, which in turn restricts blood flow and this reduces movement of oxygen and nutrients in the joints. Also reducing the amount of toxins that can be removed from the joints, encouraging more degeneration and/or inflammation. A practitioner of the Alexandra Technique can help you in this area, showing you the correct posture in everyday life – reading, sitting at the computer, standing, walking etc.
6) Lack of activity, this does not mean you have to join a gym. It does mean you have to move around move, as the lack of activity does mean you could seize up. Just like the rusty gate.
7) Poor bio-mechanics some people due to their build have extra wear and tear on – the hips, knees and/or ankles. For instance – due to knock-knees, or bow-legged or collapsed arches will change the total alignment of the legs which can cause ankle, knee or hip problems. See a foot/posture specialist, or as a osteopath or chiropractor. They can arrange for inserts to be made especially for your particular set of circumstances for your shoes that help re-align your legs removing some of the pressure. This could mean all the difference to you being more active.
Read MoreCoffee linked to arthritis
From the BBC News
Drinking coffee may increase the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to doctors.
Research carried out in Finland suggests the number of cups of coffee drunk daily is linked to increased risk of developing the condition.
Doctors at the National Institute of Public Health in Helsinki examined their theory among a cross sectional survey of almost 7,000 people.
One in 100 affected
They found the number of cups of coffee consumed on a daily basis was strongly associated with rheumatoid factor.
Rheumatoid factor can contribute to the onset of rheumatoid arthritis, which affects approximately one per cent of the population.
It can lead to permanent disability, and can even, in extreme cases, affect the major organs, causing life-threatening damage.
The research team also monitored a group of almost 19,000 over a 15 year period, none of whom had any evidence of arthritis when first tested.
They found people who drank four or more cups of coffee a day were twice as likely to test positive for arthritis than those who drank less.
The results held true even after adjusting for other risk factors, such as age, gender, smoking and weight.
They also report that those who drank 11 or more cups a day were almost 15 times as likely to have rheumatoid factor as non-coffee drinkers.
t they are unable to identify the ingredient in coffee, and in coffee that is not filtered in particular, that may increase the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
They called for further research to be carried out to see if their theory stands up.
Possible risk
“Coffee consumption should be considered a possible risk factor or a confounder in future reasearch intot he cause of rheumatoid arthritis,” they state.
The findings are published in the latest issue of the medical journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
But a spokeswoman from the Arthritis Research Campaign said: “When you consider that rheumatoid arthritis is a complex disease with a large genetic element, and that environmental and genetic factors interact to play a part in its development, to link the disease with coffee consumption is rather simplistic.”
A spokesman from the Coffee News Information Service, which represents the coffee industry, said the study had shown an association but not a cause and effect relationship.
“Most importantly when the data was collected 20 years ago, very strong boiled coffee was heavily consumed in Scandinavia, and does not represent normal UK consumption, which is primarily of the instant variety.
“Coffee drinkers should rest assured that coffee consumption in moderation is perfectly safe.”
Read MoreArthritis – 10 simple things to improve calcium absorption.
So why would improving your calcium absorption help relieve arthritis? The body would be less likely to dump calcium in inappropriate places like the joint or muscle tissue causing stiffness and pain for some people. For others it could mean gall stones or kidney stones. It’s not just about consuming calcium as we generally eat plenty of foods that contain calcium and other foods that have been fortified with calcium, the body’s biggest challenge it to break down calcium well enough so the body is able to absorb it and utilize it correctly.Here are 10 things you can do that will help – breakdown calcium – ensure more is being absorbed and importantly utilized.
Read MoreFor acute injury – remember this advice
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For acute injury – remember this If you have just injured yourself (acute) like a strain from doing sport or walking the dog, DO NOT use heat on the injury for the first 24 to 48 hours, or any heating herbs and spices. The R.I.C.E method must be used. R – Rest I – Ice for 5 – 10 minutes three times a day C – Compress using a bandage, but not too tight. E – Elevate the injury, above the heart if possible DO NOT H.A.R.M for the first 24 to 48 hours H – no Heat A – no Alcohol R –no Running or no walking or no using the injured part M – no Massage that is vigorous |
Arthritis & Pain Program at The Haven
