Yucca - has been used by the native Indians for thousands of years. It is one of those marvelous plants that has been found to have natural healing properties. Today the healing properties of yucca are being further researched by scientists and doctors in universities and research institutes around the world.

Yucca has a high content of vitamins A and B-complex, a measure of vitamin C, and a high amount of calcium, potassium, phosphorous, iron, manganese, and copper. John W. Yale, PhD, a botanist in Porterville, California, made a special study and found that yucca contained a high potency of naturally occurring plant saponin ( a cleansing ingredient). The anti-stress property of this plant saponin may also account for yucca's health and medical applications.

Clinical research resulted in evidence that the saponin in yucca could not only reduce stress and swelling of joints in people, but could also lower the tendency to develop toxic wastes in the colon. At the National Arthritis Medical Clinic in Desert Hot Springs, California, Robert Bingham, M.D., and Bernard A. Bellow, M.D, leading yucca researches, devised tests to determine if yucca could be of benefit in the treatment of arthritis. According to their report published in the Journal of Applied Nutrition (Vol. 27, No. 2 and No. 3), sixty percent of the people who took the yucca supplement experienced diminished pain, swelling, and stiffness. There were no side effects. Furthermore, those who took the yucca extract supplement had lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and relief from intestinal toxicity

Tumeric (Circumin 95%) extract - Research shows curcumin acts as a scavenger of nitric oxide and inhibits COX-2, a pro-inflammatory substance. Also a potent scavenger of superoxide, the anti-inflammatory activity and superoxide scavenging property of curcumin are proven correlated. Clinically, curcumin has worked as well as cortisone or phenylbutazone for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and post-operative inflammation. (1-5)

Curcumin inhibits pain and inflammation and supports homeostasis by selectively inhibiting the arachidonic acid cascade through both the lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase (COX) pathways (16, 17)

Curcumin has similar anti-inflammatory action as NSAIDS, but without side effects. Unlike aspirin and other classical COX-inhibitors, curcumin selectively inhibits synthesis of inflammatory prostaglandin thromboxane without affecting prostacyclin synthesis, and curcumin thereby protects against vascular thrombosis. (16-21)

COX-inhibitors and NSAIDS have dangerous side-effects; COX-2 inhibitors are required to include black-box warnings. Curcumin is safe, even at doses up to 8,000 mg per day. (10, 11)

Curcumin also inhibits COXs better than indomethacin, a currently prescribed mixed COX inhibitor. (6, 7)

A double-blind crossover study in patients with "definite" rheumatoid arthritis compared the antirheumatic activity of curcumin (1200 mg/day) with phenylbutazone, a corticosteroids drug (300 mg/day). The curcumin therapy resulted in "significant" improvements over corticosteroids. Curcumin better relieved morning stiffness and joint swelling, and improved walking time. Best of all, curcumin was well-tolerated and produced no side-effects.

Boswellia - is an herb that has boswellic acids. Boswellia species are used in traditional herbal medicine in India and African countries for the treatment of a variety of diseases. Animal experiments show anti-inflammatory activity of the extract. The mechanism of this action is due to boswellic acids which are different from NSAIDs. Extracts from boswellia herb inhibit 5-lipoxygenase.

Benefit of boswellia extract

Gum resin extracts of Boswellia species have been traditionally used in folk medicine for centuries to treat various chronic inflammatory diseases, and experimental data from animal models and studies with human subjects confirm the potential of boswellia extracts as a treatment inflammatory conditions but perhaps cancer.

Boswellia anti-inflammatory benefits

Boswellia Serrata is an ancient Ayurvedic herb from India. It is known among herbalists as a treatment for arthritis. It is also beneficial in helping inflammation and joint health. Extracts of boswellia serrata have natural anti-inflammatory activity at sites where chronic inflammation is present by switching off pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators, which initiate the process. Analysis of the ingredients of these extracts revealed that the pentacyclic triterpenes boswellic acids possess biological activities and appear to be responsible for the respective pharmacological actions.

Ashwagandha - Ashwagandha is a shrub that flourishes in India and North America. The roots of the ashwagandha plant have been employed for millennia by Ayurvedic healers.

Ashwagandha has many beneficial elements, including flavonoids and members of the withanolide class. Numerous modern studies have found that ashwagandha is very effective in reducing inflammation, treating tumors, decreasing stress, increasing mental activity, invigorating the body, and as an antioxidant.

Ashwagandha has been used as an herbal remedy for hundreds of years. It has many applications, and has been used by Native Americans and Africans to treat inflammation, fevers, and to protect against infection or illness. It has also been used to boost the immune system, improve memory, and to promote overall wellness.