Acute inflammation is part of the body's protective response to injuries, infections and other irritants, but long-term low grade inflammation puts you at risk of serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Now, new research, reported on at the Experimental Biology annual meeting in California last month, adds even more evidence to support cherries ability to alleviate inflammation.

A recent study showed that combining omega-3 fatty acids with glucosamine could have more benefits for arthritis sufferers than using glucosamine alone.

Omega-3s anti-inflammatory properties are thought to be the reason for their joint health benefits.

Rosehips, known also as the rose haws have been cultivated for many centuries and not without reason: roses were used as medicine and food, as well as revered for their beauty. Rosehips of some species are a potent source of Vitamin C and are used as herbal tea, blended with hibiscus. They can also be used as ingredients in marmalade, jelly and jam. Rosehips have been widely used in medicine due to their numerous health benefits. First and foremost it has proven effective in preventing bladder infections, boosting kidney function, solving urinary tract problems, easing headaches, soothing and serving as an antioxidant, antidepressant, antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory.

Tocilizumab (which will be sold under the brand name RoActemra) works in conjunction with an existing treatment, Methotrexate, and is administered monthly in hospital. An annual course of the drug could cost between £4,000 and £10 000 and may be available on the NHS as early as January 2009.

Anyone who has experienced knee OA, or has witnessed its affect on a friend or loved one, knows just how painful and debilitating this degenerative joint disorder can be.

Based on Pycnogenol's known anti-inflammatory qualities, an international team of US researchers led by scientists at the University of Arizona mounted an intervention trial to test this extract as a knee OA treatment.

HSI has told you about the many health benefits linked to omega-3 fatty acids - eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are found in oily fish and certain plant oils - numerous times in the past.

HSI was delighted to learn about a brand new omega-3 fatty acid supplement called JointGuard. What sets it apart from all the other fish oil supplements on the market is that it has been created using a revolutionary new manufacturing process, designed by BioCare, which enables your body to absorb double the amount of this fatty acid to help guarantee maximum health benefits.

If you've ever dreamed of being chased by a giant tomato with ferocious chomping teeth, you just might have arthritis. For arthritis patients especially those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) certain foods can help or hinder arthritis symptoms. But many patients aren't aware of the effects these foods produce.

Osteoarthritis is a widespread joint disease that destroys cartilage and can lead to deformed bone growth, sometimes with crippling consequences. In elderly people, osteoarthritis of the knee is the leading cause of disability and if you are over 50, there is an 80 per cent chance that you have some degree of osteoarthritis in your joints.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an insidious disease that sets your body at war with itself. In addition to the debilitating pain and inflammation this causes, RA may be accompanied by fatigue, weight loss, anaemia, anxiety and depression. Other symptoms include inflammation of the eyes, nodules or lumps under the skin, and a general feeling of malaise.

We all experience pain from time to time, but an incredible one person in five suffers from chronic pain severe enough to make life miserable. When we are in pain, most of us reach for over-the-counter painkillers or get something stronger on prescription from the doctor but long term use of these drugs can cause a range of serious health problems.

But fortunately there is now a natural alternative to conventional painkillers in the form of Celadrin, an anti-inflammatory supplement that can help to alleviate arthritis, injuries to muscles and tendons, and aching joints all with no known side effects.