title: Association between use of specialty dietary supplements and C-reactive protein concentrations.
abstract: Laboratory evidence suggests that certain specialty dietary supplements have antiinflammatory properties, though evidence in humans remains limited. Data on a nationally representative sample of 9,947 adults from the 1999-2004 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to assess the associations between specialty supplement use and inflammation, as measured by serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentration. Using survey-weighted multivariate linear regression, significant reductions in hs-CRP concentrations were associated with regular use of glucosamine (17%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 7, 26), chondroitin (22%, 95% CI: 8, 33), and fish oil (16%, 95% CI: 0.3, 29). No associations were observed between hs-CRP concentration and regular use of supplements containing methylsulfonylmethane, garlic, ginkgo biloba, saw palmetto, or pycnogenol. These results suggest that glucosamine and chondroitin supplements are associated with reduced inflammation in humans and provide further evidence to support an inverse association between use of fish oil supplements and inflammation. It is important to further investigate the potential antiinflammatory role of these supplements, as there is a need to identify safe and effective ways to reduce inflammation and the burden of inflammation-related diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA. ekantor@fhcrc.org
authors.forename: Elizabeth D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Kantor
authors.forename: Johanna W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lampe
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Vaughan
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Colin D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Rehm
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002807:Chondroitin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000494:pharmacology; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005395:Fish Oils; D002807:Chondroitin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005944:Glucosamine