VIOXX Natural Alternatives
by Marc St Onge Ascenta Health
Pharmaceutical companies are often in the news but when pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. voluntarily recalled its flagship arthritis drug, Vioxx, it was front-page headlines across the country. Vioxx was pulled off the shelves in over 80 countries around the world and Merck stocks took a nosedive. Recent clinical trials linked the consumption of Vioxx to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, acute adult pain and menstrual pain were regularly treated using the popular anti-inflammatory drug.
Pharmaceutical companies are often in the news but when pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. voluntarily recalled its flagship arthritis drug, Vioxx, it was front-page headlines across the country. Vioxx was pulled off the shelves in over 80 countries around the world and Merck stocks took a nosedive. Recent clinical trials linked the consumption of Vioxx to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, acute adult pain and menstrual pain were regularly treated using the popular anti-inflammatory drug.
The active ingredient in Vioxx, Rofecoxib, acts as an analgesic. Because it is non-steroidal, Vioxx and other similar drugs are referred to as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Clinical trials had shown not only did Vioxx cause potentially deadly adverse reactions but other drugs in the same class were also linked to similar side effects.
Patients who were on Vioxx were immediately urged to speak with their doctors about alternative treatments. The risk of side effects is a constant danger when taking pharmaceutical drugs. The question is then, what safe, long term alternatives exist for those suffering from chronic pain and inflammation? If you’ve had a serving of fresh fish today, you’ve already found the answer.
The excitement over fish, more specifically fish oils, is shared by both the medical community as well as the millions of sufferers of degenerative diseases. Most degenerative diseases, including arthritis, are characterized by an over-active inflammatory process in the body. While physical traumas, genetics and toxins are also causes of excessive inflammation, the primary culprit is poor nutrition. For this reason we turn our attention to fish oils.
Fish oils contain high amounts of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. These fatty acids play a number of critical roles in the body. One such role is the production of a class of hormone-like chemicals called eicosonoids. While the overall function of eicosonoids is diverse, one major effect is the suppression of inflammation in the body. We know that inflammation is necessary to the healing process but we also know that excessive or chronic inflammation can lead to disease. The body’s inability to control inflammation may be due partly to a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids. Furthermore, the powerful anti-inflammatory effect of omega-3s is reduced by the excessive consumption of another type of dietary fat known as omega-6.
Major sources of omega-6s are vegetable oils, animal fats such as beef and chicken, as well as most nuts and seeds. While some omega-6 fatty acids are necessary for proper health, they actually promote inflammation and disease when consumed in excessive amounts. “Because the average person consumes far too much omega-6 and too little omega-3, the inflammatory pathway in the body shifts towards excessive inflammation and disease” said naturopath Dr. Paul McKern. To bring that pathway back into balance requires a reduction in omega-6 consumption (common cooking oils and animal fats) and an increase in omega-3 consumption (fish, fish oils). The benefits of omega-3 fish oils in the treatment arthritis is widely supported by thousands of medical studies published in some of the most prestigious medical journals around the world.
Researchers at Harvard University analyzed 10 double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studies and concluded that fish oil supplementation resulted in a highly significant decrease in the number of tender joints and a significant shortening in the duration of morning stiffness among rheumatoid arthritis patients.(1)
“Most people don’t realize how much diet influences the risk of disease” said Marc St-Onge, President of Ascenta Health Ltd., a leading producer of omega-3 fish oils. “Purified fish oils as a dietary supplement presents sufferers of arthritic pain with a medically proven alternative to pharmaceutical drugs. An added benefit is of course the lack of side effects”, added Mr. St-Onge. Over 40 years of medical research on omega-3 fatty acids is supporting its use in a variety of diseases. Most importantly, omega-3 fatty acids are an important part of a balanced diet and a balanced diet is a person’s best bet for a long and healthy life.
If you suffer from pain and inflammation and are looking for a proven alternative treatment to Vioxx, with no side effects, consider an omega-3 supplement enriched diet
Publish Date : 11/7/2004
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