Arthritis

[djkvan]

From: Journal of Neurological and Orthopedic Medical Surgery (1993) 12:227-231

An Apparent Relation of Nightshades (Solanaceae) to Arthritis

N.F. Childers, Ph.D.1,2, and M.S. Margoles, M.D.3

http://noarthritis.com/research.htm

Synopsis...

Diet appears to be a factor in the etiology of arthritis based on surveys of over 1400 volunteers during a 20-year period. Plants in the drug family, Solanaceae (nightshades) are an important causative factor in arthritis in sensitive people

Livestock researchers since the early 1900's have reported a disease of livestock resembling arthritis. The disease is chronic, crippling, and debilitating; it results in arteriosclerosis, hypercalcemia, parathyroid atrophy, C cell hyperplasia, osteopetrosis, osteonecrosis, soft tissue calcinosis, and early death

...the ability of the Solanaceae (those species analyzed) to develop naturally the very active metabolite of vitamin D3 (1a25 dihydroxycholecalciferol) that results in calcinosis of soft tissues, ligaments, and tendons, mineralization in walls of major arteries and veins, and osteopetrosis and related pathology

Is it possible that the presence of the active form of vitamin D may result in abnormal calcium absorption and deposits in connective tissue with resultant pathology

Per capita yearly consumption of potato in America is about 58.5 Kg, while in Japan it is only 17-18 Kg, a significant difference. If increased bone density precedes osteoporosis could the potato be a missing piece of the puzzle?

[RRM]

... If increased bone density precedes osteoporosis could the potato be a missing piece of the puzzle?

What makes you think that potato consumption increases bone density?
It seems to be about the consumption of leaves of specific members of the Solanaceae (and other) family.
The calcinosis of cattle seems to be about the consumption of Solanum glaucophyllum leaves,
containing a vitamin D3 glycoside, which is also contained in the leaves of other plants,
such as Cestrum diurnum, Nicotiana glauca and Solanum malacoxylon.

Regarding vitamin D3

Calcitriol (1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol)
The direct influence of calcitriol is increasing the uptake of dietary calcium into the blood, but also the uptake of calcium into the bones.
(Calcitriol therefore also stimulates osteoblast activity (22) and thus increases osteoblasts apoptosis (5))
and deportation of calcium from the bones. (23)
Calcitriol however also inhibits secretion of PTH. And because PTH much stronger than calcitriol stimulates the uptake of calcium into the bones and the subsequent deportation,
supplementary calcitriol can, per saldo, in fact strongly decrease uptake of calcium into the bones and subsequent deportation. (6)
Since calcitriol also increases intestinal calcium absorption, this however also strongly increases blood-calcium level (7).

Too much calcium in the blood can precipitate in the arteries, joints and ligaments and kills muscle cells
(since muscle cells can only contract by deporting calcium outside the muscle-cells, which is harder if the blood contains more calcium).
Too much calcitriol / vitamin D can cause arteriosclerosis, arthritis, bone-deformation (8) and, muscle cramps.

[Kasper]

I'm intrested in your opinion about boron RRM in the context of athritis and calcium etc.
Did you study that ?

I read that boron is very good in preventing athritis.

[RRM]

I'm intrested in your opinion about boron RRM in the context of athritis and calcium etc.
Did you study that ?

No, i didnt.

I read that boron is very good in preventing athritis.

How does it do so?

[Kasper]

I have to say I just read this information:

Country and ------- Daily intake - Incidence -------- Remarks ----
--- Source ---------- (mg boron) -- Arthritis % ------------------------

Jamaica 1974 ----------- <1 ---------- 70 ---------------- All food crops
soil analysis ---------------------------------------------------- deficient

Mauritius ----------------- <1 ---------- 50 ---------------- Most food crops
sugar cane analysis------------------------------------------ deficient

Fijian Indians ------------- 1 ---------- 40 ----------------- Eat mostly rice

Native Fijians ------------ 3-5 -------- 10 ----------------- Eat mostly root
---------------------------------------------------------------------- vegetables

USA, UK, Australia, ---- 1-2 --------- 20 ------------------- Most elderly
South Africa -------------------------------------------------------- arthritic
food analyses

Xhosa tribe/Transkei --- 2-5 --------- 3 ---------------- Eat native grown
(Meyers 1977) ----------------------------------------------- maize without
---------------------------------------------------------------------- fertiliser
Xhosa in big cities ------ 1-2 --------- 20 -------------- Eat commercial
--------------------------------------------------------------------- maize grown
--------------------------------------------------------------------- with fertiliser

Carnarvon, Australia --- 6-10 -------- 1 ----------------- Soil and water (survey 1981) --------------------------------------------------- high boron
------------------------------------------------------------------------ content

Israel (Volcanic Inst. -----10+ -------- 0.7 ----------------- Water high
and 1981) ------------------------------------------------------ boron content

I couldn't find anything about other countries.
I just found one study about the influence of boron related to copper, calcium and magnesium.

In the first nutritional study with humans involving boron, 12 postmenopausal women first were fed a diet that provided 0.25 mg boron/2000 kcal for 119 days, and then were fed the same diet with a boron supplement of 3 mg boron/day for 48 days. The boron supplementation reduced the total plasma concentration of calcium and the urinary excretions of calcium and magnesium, and elevated the serum concentrations of 17 beta-estradiol and testosterone. This study was followed by one in which five men over the age of 45, four postmenopausal women, and five postmenopausal women on estrogen therapy were fed a boron-low diet (0.23 mg/2000 kcal) for 63 days, then fed the same diet supplemented with 3 mg boron/day for 49 days. The diet was low in magnesium (115 mg/2000 kcal) and marginally adequate in copper (1.6 mg/2000 kcal) throughout the study. This experiment found higher erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, serum enzymatic ceruloplasmin, and plasma copper during boron repletion than boron depletion.

[RRM]

I read that boron is very good in preventing athritis.

How does it do so?

The boron supplementation reduced the total plasma concentration of calcium and the urinary excretions of calcium and magnesium

Ok, that makes sense.