A Brazilian Plant May Help Treat, And Even Protect Against, Arthritis |
New research published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology has suggested that Joseph’s coat, a plant used in traditional Brazilian medicine, appears to have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.
It could be useful for treating and even protecting arthritic joints, the paper says.
The plant grows along Brazil’s coastline, and has historically been used to treat inflammation, microbial infections, and parasitic diseases, the paper reads.
But this paper adds more scientific evidence to these uses.
Why can Joseph’s coat help with arthritis?
In this paper, scientists first looked at the chemical makeup of the plant.
They identified the bioactive parts of Joseph’s coat, or isolated the compounds which seemed to have the most medicinal effects.
Then, they found that an ethanolic extract made from the plant helped to reduce inflammation in laboratory animals.
Arthritis is