Chondroitin was first extracted and purified in 1960s. It is currently manufactured from natural sources ( shark/beef cartilage and bovine trachea ) or by synthetic means. The consensus of expert and industry openions supports the use of chondroitin and its common partner agent, glucosamine, for improving symptoms and stopping ( or possibly reversing ) the degenerative process of osteoarthritis.

Chondroitin does not reduce joint pain in people with osteoarthritis and its use should be discontinued, concludes a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.  

In their meta-analysis of 20 trials comparing chondroitin with either placebo or no treatment, the authors found that “large scale, methodologically sound trials indicate that the symptomatic benefit is minimal to nonexistant.” Therefore, the use of this agent shoule be discouraged, perticularly in advanced cases.

Chondroitin, which is usualy taken with glucosamine- itslf was found ineffective in a trial published last year.  Courtesy-MIMS,Vol.-28, June-2008.

The use of low dose aspirin-a-day not only does not reduce but actually increases the risk of haemorrhagic stroke by a whopping 69 % in males.There is no beneficial effect on the risk of ischaemic stroke. These are the results of a meta-analysis of 95,000 patients enrolled in six randomized controlled clinical trials. ( Ref: American Heart Association ). Courtesy-MIMS Vol. 28, No. 6, June 2008.

          The total quantity of solid waste generated in India as a whole is approximately > 300 million metric tonnes per day and based on that it emits approximately > 4600 MT/day of Methane.
           Climate has and will always vary for natural reasons. However, human activities are increasing significantly: consequently  the concentration of some gases in the atmosphere,called greenhouse gases which tend to warm the earth surface also increases. One of the impacts of urbanisation with a global dimention is the emission of methane. Concentration of methane in the atmosphere is increasing rapidly. Methane being one of the potent green house gases, with its global warming potential being 21 times more than that of CO2, appropriate actions should be taken to reduce its emission thereby reducing the risk to the environment.
     Courtesy: NSWAI Newsletter February, 2006.

Glucosamine does not give relief in pain due to osteoarthritis,as per clinical trial reported in the American Journal Of Medicine. Patients on glucosamine did no better on several parameters: pain,stiffness,function,overall satisfaction and pain killers use.
The Danish Medicine Agency has alerted all regulatory authorities about glucosamine’s potential risk of developing 1) High Cholesterol Level  2) Vision Disorders  3) Peripheral Oedema  4)Pulmonary Embolism 5) Seizures  6) Myocardial Infarction 7)Increased Liver Enzymes increased Serum Creatinine Levels.
Published in MIMS, Volume 26, NOV. 5, MAY 2006.

Canberry capsules.Green Tea Extract.Effervescent vitamin C.Pomegranate condentrate.Beta carotene pills.Selenium.Grape seed extract.High -dose vitamin E.Pine bark extract.Bee spit.
You name it , it’s an antioxidant,we will swallow it. Accordind to some estimates around half of US adults take antioxidants pills daily in the belief that they promote good health and stave off disease.We have become antioxidant devotees.But are they doing us any good?Evidence gathered over the past few years show that at best, antioxidant supplements do little or nothing to benefit our health.They could even have the opposite effect, promoting the very problems they are supposed to stamp out.
Free radicals are an unavoidable hazard of being alive. We live in an oxygen rich atmosphere,and radicals perticularly reactive oxygen species ,are natural by-products of respiration.Exposure to X-rays,Ozone,tobacco smoke,air pollutants,microbial infections,industrial chemicals and intensive exercise also trigger free radical production. 
In 1992 researchers at the US National Cancer Institute set about testing beta carotene. the trial was set to run for 6 years, but two-thirds of the way through the researchers pulled the plug after discovering, to their surprise and horror, that those taking supplements were doing worse than thecontrols. They had developed 28 per cent more cases of lung cancer, and their overall death rate was 17 per cent higher.
Its a similar story with the world’s most popular antioxidant . vitamin E shot to fame in the early 1990s, after two large studies involving more than 127,000 people in total found that those with a diet high in vitamin E were significantly less likely to suffer cardiovascular disease. Use of vitamin E supplrments soared. In 1990,almost nobody took vitamin E; by the end of the decade an estimated 23 million US citizens were knocking back daily doses.
On the back of these results other researchers set up large intervention studies using vitamin E supplrments. The results ,however, have been almost universally disappointing. The Cambridge heart antioxidant study–found a positive effect. Several others found no protective effect and one even concluded that vitamin E increases the risk of heart failure.What is more, when scientists went looking for evidance that vitamin E protected low density lipoprotein(LDL) against oxidation in healthy living subjects, not just in the test tube, they found none–except in people with vitamin E defidiency.” In fact, vitamin E can do opposite, enhancing lipid oxidation, ” says Roland Stocker, a biochemist at the university of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Vitamin E clearly doing something in the body–it is an essential part of the diet and deficiency leads to neurological problems—but whatever it’s doing, it’s not an antioxidant.
The conclusion is clear, whatever is behind the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, you cnnot reproduce it by taking purifird extracts or vitamin supplements.
Once in the human body, antioxidants seem strangly powerless. Not only are they bad at preventing oxidative damage but they can even make things worse. Many scientists are now concluding that, at best, they are a waste of time and money. At worst they could be harmful. 
The first antioxidant to produce dirappointing results was beta carotene. Once a star among supplements, beta carotene pills were recomended to smokers as protective agents against lung cancer. This was largely based on the observation, made in 1970s,that people who ate a lot of carrots–which contain large quantities of beta carotene–had some protection against cancer.    

The diet-nutrition & Arthritis connection is very important, recent studies show that relief can be as close as their breakfast,lunch & dinner plate, ancient ayurveda also recognises it.Many people with rheumatoid arthritis & other forms of inflammatory joint diseases are reacting to the offending substances in their food.Elimination of these substances from their food provide dramatic improvement.I usually advise my patients to avoid SOUR & COLD things,Chicken protein,Egg whites,Beef & other bovine derived meats,Wheat protein,Milk proteins esp.buffalo, yogurt,icecream,chocolate etc.
I advise Morning Sunshine/morning walk esp. in winter season, sprouted cereals, exercise/physiotherapy as per patients condition.
 Then comes the medicine part.Keeping integrated approach i switch over the patient from modern medicines to Ayurvedic medicines slowly but surely thereby getting sustained remission without/minimum side effects.
By this, instead of mere suppression of inflammatory symptoms effective relief is achieved & sense of wellbeing is prevailed.  

Being managing committee member,NSWAI I am going to arrange seminar with the help of NSWAI at the end of this month at Mahad Industrial Area on the topic “conversion of biodegradable waste into compost/manure by using bioculture” with the assistance of MIDC,MMA, MPCB,SP Raigad, Collector Raigad. By this awareness at the Grampanchayat, Municipal Corporation will take place at the same time indiscriminate dumping will be eliminated & by Producing manure value addition will be there. Thereby many communicable diseases will be prevented.
For further infomation regarding Environmental Activities please visit at www.nswai.com    

  
I am doing research for the last 30 years on ” Rheumatoid
Arthritis”, Autoimmune disorder. Developed holistic & integrated treatment thereby achieving sustained remission without side effects as per ACR ( American College Of Rheumatology ) guidelines. Last year about 30 patients were assessed/evaluated by Hon’ble Dr. V.R.Joshi, Senior Rheumatologist & Research Director, Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai. Further research & upgradation of treatment is on. 
    I am working in the field of environment as an NGO for the last 20 years, to create awareness & pollution control. Attended Water Management Conference at Florida, USA as a delegate US-AEP. Managing committee member NSWAI, NGO, Website-www.nswai.com., Ex. Member SAC ( ENV.),Govt. of Maharashtra. Filed a P.I.L.( Public Interest Litigation ) in Mumbai High Court # 36/2001,versus Govt.Of Maharashtra, Hon’ble High Court uphelding gave direction to build Hazardous Waste Management Facility by April 2002 & CETPs by May 2003.
    i offer my professional services esp. medical.
    My phone # -02145250067.M-9922788323.
    My E-mail- drsudhirp@yahoo.com.
                      drsudhirp@hotmail.com.