{"id":267294,"date":"2026-01-04T20:30:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T20:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/267294\/"},"modified":"2026-01-04T20:30:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T20:30:25","slug":"traditional-brazilian-plant-shows-unexpected-strength-against-arthritis-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/267294\/","title":{"rendered":"Traditional Brazilian plant shows unexpected strength against arthritis: research"},"content":{"rendered":"

A plant used in Brazilian medicine has scientific potential to help people with\u00a0arthritis<\/a> and other inflammatory conditions.<\/p>\n

Researchers tested Joseph\u2019s Coat (Alternanthera littoralis) in lab studies and found it reduced swelling, protected joint tissue, and appeared safe at the doses used.<\/p>\n

Joseph\u2019s Coat grows naturally along Brazil\u2019s coast. Local communities have traditionally used it to ease inflammation, infections, and parasites. <\/p>\n

Until now, however, there has not been solid scientific evidence showing it works or is safe.<\/p>\n

The new study was carried out by teams from universities across Brazil, including the Federal University of Grande Dourados, the State University of Campinas, and S\u00e3o Paulo State University. They published their findings in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.<\/p>\n

Scientists first examined the\u00a0chemical makeup\u00a0of the plant\u2019s stems and leaves that grow above ground. They prepared an ethanolic extract, meaning they used alcohol to pull out the plant\u2019s active compounds.<\/p>\n

In lab models of arthritis, this extract reduced visible swelling.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the experimental models, we observed reduced edema, improved joint parameters, and modulation of inflammatory mediators, suggesting antioxidant and tissue-protective actions,\u201d Arielle Cristina Arena, associate professor in the Department of Structural and Functional Biology at the Institute of Biosciences at UNESP\u2019s Botucatu Campus, said in a press release.<\/p>\n

Researchers tested Joseph\u2019s Coat (Alternanthera littoralis) in lab studies and found it reduced swelling, protected joint tissue, and appeared safe at the doses used. Boonsawad \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

It also influenced inflammatory pathways and signs of oxidative stress, which can damage tissue during chronic inflammation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Joints exposed to the extract showed fewer signs of degeneration and better overall health than untreated controls.<\/p>\n

The research team also ran toxicology tests to check for safety. At the tested doses, the plant extract did not trigger harmful effects in the laboratory animals used in the study, suggesting a promising safety profile.<\/p>\n

In lab models of arthritis, this plant extract reduced visible swelling. SKT Studio \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

If further research confirms these results, researchers say that Joseph\u2019s Coat could be a source for new\u00a0plant-based anti-inflammatory treatments.<\/p>\n

Modern arthritis drugs<\/a> can be effective but often have side effects that limit long-term use. <\/p>\n

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The team says that natural compounds with fewer side effects could offer alternatives or complements in future therapies.<\/p>\n

The study\u00a0was conducted in animals, not humans, so the findings cannot be directly applied to patients with arthritis.<\/p>\n

Joints exposed to the extract showed fewer signs of degeneration and better overall health than untreated controls, according to the research. narstudio \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

The study also focused on a specific extract prepared under controlled conditions, meaning store-bought or homemade versions of the plant could vary widely in strength and safety. Wirestock \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Human bodies process compounds differently, and treatments that work in lab models do not always translate into safe or effective therapies for people.<\/p>\n

The study also focused on a specific extract prepared under controlled conditions, meaning store-bought or homemade versions of the plant could vary widely in strength and safety.<\/p>\n

In addition, the research does not identify which specific compounds in the plant are responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects.<\/p>\n

Without this information, it is difficult to standardize doses or predict long-term outcomes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The scientists note that further studies are needed to isolate active ingredients, test long-term safety, and eventually conduct clinical trials in humans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A plant used in Brazilian medicine has scientific potential to help people with\u00a0arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Researchers…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":267295,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[274],"tags":[76966,377,19064,18,135,19,17,462,2101],"class_list":["post-267294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-bones","tag-brazil","tag-diseases","tag-eire","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-medication","tag-public-health"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115838728380800099","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=267294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267294\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/267295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=267294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=267294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}