Rose-hip supplement "can alleviate pain" for osteoarthritis sufferers, study shows

Rose-hip supplementation can help alleviate joint pain in patients with knee, hip and hand osteoarthritis, according to latest research, carried out at the Copenhagen Country Hospital in Denmark by Kaj Winther of the department of clinical biochemistry. This involved 94 arthritis patients with an average age of 66.

In the study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, 82% of patients reported a reduction in pain after three weeks' of active treatment with GOPO, the active compound isolated from Rosa canina, a type of rose-hip.

The research could give new hope to the nine million people in the UK who suffer from painful joints due to arthritis and related conditions but who are keen to maintain an active life, according to UK company G R Lane Health Products, which claims that its product LitoZin is the only supplement containing GOPO and is specifically formulated for maintaining joint health.