Fighting Crohn's and Arthritis Joint Pain Naturally

In the past, whenever people had a painful condition in their stomach or joints, their natural reaction was to go to the medicine chest for the best advertised over the counter or doctor recommend prescription drug of the day. Most folks just didn't know that there were any alternatives to drugs made in the lab, and the potential risks of harmful side effects from taking them. In fact studies show that even now, half the population doesn't think natural supplements are worth buying. The Federal Drug Administration doesn't even think they are important enough to try and regulate.

However, an increasing number of people are delighted with the positive results they are discovering by taking certain types of natural supplements derived from plant compounds found in fruits and vegetables and even certain kinds of tree bark...specifically pine bark or pycnogenol. These supplements called OPC's or (Oligomeric Proanthocyandidins) belong to a specific family called bioflavanoids...which are powerful antioxidants that encourage your body's own immune system to respond appropriately to inflammation, allergy and infections. Antioxidants are compounds that protect the body's cells and tissues from being damaged by free-radicals, which contribute to aging and illness. Free radicals are created by environmental pollution, food additives, high-fat diets, excessive alcohol, smoking and second hand smoke, burns, infection, stress, radiation and nutrient deficiencies. In short...everyone is exposed to free-radicals on a daily basis. But by giving our own bodies immune system the strength it needs to fight off free radicals and their effects, we can live healthier, longer and more active lives.

Besides the inflammation and pain in the intestines, most Crohn's sufferers, like Arthritis sufferers experience a great deal of pain and stiffness in their joints, mostly in the elbows, knees, wrists and ankles. While traditional medicines simply treat the pain symptom itself by blocking it out, antioxidant rich natural supplements like OPC's go straight to the root cause of the pain...namely the inflammation, and eliminate it naturally, without producing any harmful side effects in the body. If inflammation is the direct cause of pain, whether from an injury or a degenerative disease like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's, Colitis, etc., it seems only logical that the inflammation should be addressed functionally through immobilization and by antagonizing the chemical messengers (such as histamine and prostaglandins) that are responsible for the inflammatory response and subsequent pain to begin with. Bioflavanoids have been proven very successful in this pursuit. Actually, OPC's are not the only bioflavanoids available...there are literally thousands. For example Vitamins A, C, E, zinc, selenium and beta carotene (to name a few) are also known for their strong antioxidant properties. However, out of all the of antioxidant bioflavanoids available, only the grape seed extract and pine bark rich OPC's are considered to be the most powerful.

While OPC has not been proven to cure any disease or condition, reducing the amount of free-radicals in the body levels the playing field and allows it (your immune system) to heal itself amazingly well!