| > | | | | only 36% of patients when taking the placebo. |
| | | | Furthermore, while the patients were taking the |
| After achieving continued success in Europe for over | | | | specialized rosehip powder they experienced a |
| ten years in which thousand of people have benefited | | | | significant reduction in joint stiffness and in the use of |
| the exclusive patented rosehip power originally sold as | | | | rescue medications compared to when they were |
| LITOZIN® is now available in the United States as | | | | taking the placebo. |
| i-flex®. i-flex® is the only joint health | | | | A Norwegian study headed by Dr. Warholm |
| supplement in the United States that is natural, | | | | independently conducted a 4 month placebo-controlled |
| animal-free, allergen-free, effective, fast acting and | | | | parallel study in 100 patients having osteoarthritis of the |
| safe for daily use. | | | | hip or knee. This study published in Current Therapy |
| The story behind i-flex®’s success began | | | | Research in 2003 confirmed the findings from the |
| back in the early 90’s when Erik Hansen, an | | | | Denmark-based Winther team. Over 4 months, 65% |
| aging Danish farmer who grew rosehips, discovered | | | | of the patients randomly assigned to the specialized |
| while eating his rosehip jam that his specific rosehip | | | | rosehip powder had a reduction in pain scores |
| powder alleviated his joint pain and improved his | | | | compared to 44% of the patients assigned to placebo. |
| flexibility. When he gave this powder to his friends | | | | Passive hip mobility after 4 months was also |
| and neighbors they too were amazed with the positive | | | | significantly different from the placebo group as was |
| results they obtained. So Erik decided to market his | | | | the reduction in pain medication. |
| unique product but he first wanted to demonstrate | | | | Winther and coauthors published in 2005 in the |
| scientifically that it worked. He met up with Dr. Kaj | | | | Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology their second |
| Winther in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at | | | | clinical trial, a placebo controlled crossover study in 94 |
| Copenhagen County Hospital Gentotofte and asked | | | | osteoarthritis patients given the specialized rosehip |
| him to test the product. Although Dr. Winter was | | | | powder for 3 months. Eighty-two percent of the |
| skeptical this product would work he teamed with Drs. | | | | patients had a significant reduction in pain scores within |
| Rein and Kharzmi to conduct a small study in healthy | | | | three weeks while taking the rosehip powder |
| volunteers for 4 weeks which demonstrated that the | | | | compared to only 49% while taking the placebo. The |
| rosehip product possessed potent anti-inflammatory | | | | patients also had improvements in mobility and ability to |
| properties and to confirm the mechanism of action in a | | | | perform activities of daily living after 3 months on the |
| second study. Both studies were published in the | | | | specialized rosehip powder compared to the placebo. |
| journal Immunopharmacology in 1999. Since this early | | | | These changes were accompanied by a reduction in |
| beginning, Dr. Winther and his collaborators as well as a | | | | use of pain medication while consuming the rosehip |
| Norwegian team have conducted three clinical trials in | | | | powder. |
| osteoarthritis patients with the specialized rosehips | | | | All of the three clinical studies with osteoarthritis |
| powder that conclusively demonstrate its | | | | patients consistently showed greater reductions in pain |
| effectiveness and safety. Erik Hansen even at this | | | | scores and improved mobility and flexibility when the |
| stage knew he had a winning product so he | | | | patients consumed the specialized rosehip powder |
| developed and patented a gentle drying process the | | | | compared to placebo and they were able to reduce |
| preserve the products’ unique anti-inflammatory | | | | their normal use of pain medication. Furthermore, in |
| properties. Erik’s company, Hypen Vital, licensed | | | | the third study the patients had a significant reduction in |
| his product to be distributed as LITOZIN® in Europe | | | | pain after only three weeks. In all of these studies |
| and more recently to DSM Nutritional Products to | | | | the specialized rosehip power was found to be safe |
| market is as i-flex® in the rest of the world. So | | | | with no adverse reactions occurring within the 3-4 |
| i-flex® is the same specialized rosehip product as | | | | months of consumption. |
| tested in the three clinical trials and marketed in Europe | | | | Persons suffering from sore and aching joints who |
| for over 10 years. The key findings of the three clinical | | | | want an animal-free, allergen-free alternative to |
| studies are summarized in the next paragraphs. | | | | glucosamine or glucosamine-chondroitin may do well to |
| The first clinical study by Drs. Rein, Kharazmi and | | | | try i-flex®. Whereas glucosamine may take |
| Winther, which was published in Phytomedicine in 2004, | | | | months to achieve relief and is generally effective in |
| demonstrated in a placebo-controlled crossover study | | | | only 40% of the people taking it, i-flex® has been |
| that 66% of the 112 patients having osteoarthritis of | | | | demonstrated in three high quality clinical studies totaling |
| various joints had a reduction in pain scores while | | | | 306 subjects to soothe sore joints in as little as three |
| taking the specialized rosehip powder compared to | | | | weeks in up to 82% of those taking it. |