I may have to eat more guacamole (and an occasional soybean). From Avocado/Soybean Product May Help Treat Osteoarthritis:
Osteoarthritis, which is caused by wear and tear on the cartilage that lines joints, appears to improve with a novel French product containing elements of avocado and soybean oils.In an effort to find out how the product, known as A1S2 or Piascledine, works, Dr. Yves E. Henrotin from University Hospital in Liege, Belgium, and colleagues studied its effects on cartilage-producing cells — chondrocytes — taken from the joints of patients with osteoarthritis.
As the researchers report in the Journal of Rheumatology, A1S2 significantly enhanced the production by chondrocytes of aggrecan, a key component of cartilage, beginning after 9 days of treatment and increasing through day 12.
The individual avocado and soybean components worked as well as A1S2 in boosting aggrecan production.
However, A1S2 but not the individual components, also restored aggrecan synthesis blocked by an inflammation-causing compound called interleukin-1-beta, which is present in arthritic joints. In fact, A1S2 reduced levels of several inflammatory factors produced by the chondrocytes.