Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disorder in which the body mistakenly attacks the synovium, the thin membrane that protects and cushions the joints. While there is no cure, certain nutritional therapies may help to relieve symptoms. In fact, a dietary supplement made from avocado and soybean oil may slow the progression of arthritis.
Food as Medicine
The avocado is the fruit of a small tree native to Mexico and Central America that you may recognize as the main ingredient in guacamole. The soybean is a legume native to Asia and grown commercially on a large scale in the United States. Both botanicals contain similar constituents, namely fatty oils, sterols and volatile acids. The fatty oils obtained from avocado and soybean are useful in making cosmetics because they are subject to saponification, which means they break down in the presence of an alkali to produce soap. But since the plant sterols and acids in these plants do not, they are referred to unsaponifiable compounds. A vegetable extract produced from avocado soybean unsaponifiables, or ASU for short, is being investigated as a potential treatment for joint arthritis.
Availability
ASU is manufactured in capsule form in France and contains a 1-to-2 ratio of avocado oil unsaponifiable compounds and soybean oil unsaponifiable compounds. ASU is also marketed in Europe as A1S2 and under the registered trade name Piascledine. While the prescription form of this medicine is not yet available in the United States, there are several over-the-counter dietary supplements available that contain varying concentrations of avocado soybean unsaponifiable fraction.
Beneficial Effects
Studies have shown that unsaponifiable compounds in avocado and soybean oils block the production of inflammatory mediators from chondrocytes, macrophages and other specialized cells activated by the immune system. This is significant because inflammatory mediators, such as prostaglandin E2, are the chemicals responsible for causing the inflammation and deterioration of cartilage. Test tube studies have shown that ASU also promotes an increase in the manufacture of a substance needed to maintain healthy cartilage called aggrecan.
Clinical Evidence
According to Yves E. Henrotin, lead author of a study published in the August 2006 issue of the "Journal of Rheumatology," ASU promotes cartilage repair by acting on osteoblasts, specialized cells involved in bone mineralization. An analysis of previous trials published in the April 16, 2008, issue of "Osteoarthritis and Cartilage," reported that of the 664 people included, those treated with avocado and soybean oil unsaponifiable compounds for six months experienced significantly more relief from pain and inflammation than those given a placebo. But the researchers noted that patients with osteoarthritis of the knee fared better than those with hip osteoarthritis.
Side Effects
Taking ASU or eating avocado alone may decrease the effects of anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin. Some people are allergic to avocado compounds, particularly people with an allergy to latex or with a known sensitivity to tomatoes, bananas and melons. In addition, soybean compounds may interact with thyroid medications. Check with your doctor before self-treating your arthritis with nutritional therapies or dietary supplements.
References
- Drugs.com: Avocado
- Arthritis M.D.: Avocado Soybean Unsaponifiables (ASU)
- "Journal of Rheumatology"; Avocado/Soybean Unsaponifiables Prevent the Inhibitory Effect of Osteoarthritic Subchondral Osteoblasts on Aggrecan and Type II Collagen Synthesis by Chondrocytes; Yves E. Henrotin, et al.; 2006
- "Osteoarthritis and Cartilage"; Symptomatic Efficacy of Avocado-Soybean Unsaponifiables (ASU) in Osteoarthritis (OA) Patients: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials; R. Christensen, et al.; 2008
