Title: Goji and Arthritis Word Count: 615 Summary: Arthritis pain can cause sadness and depression. The pain can cause you to feel like you are missing out on life and the loss of sleep can keep you from enjoying even the simple things in life. Keywords: goji juice, goji berries Article Body: Arthritis pain can cause sadness and depression. The pain can cause you to feel like you are missing out on life and the loss of sleep can keep you from enjoying even the simple things in life. The problems associated with arthritis causes extreme frustration because arthritis makes even the simplest of daily tasks nearly impossible. In advanced stages arthritis can be completely disabling. We are happy to say that arthritis does not always have to limit your life. Many people are finding the incredible benefits of a remarkable new product and are awed by its unmatched health-promoting powers. They are finding one of the most prized secrets of the ancient Himalayans who were believed to be the first natural healers, and who shared their wisdom with the ancient herbalists of China, Tibet, and India. That wonderful find is Goji Juice. Since its discovery in the Himalayas, those who know of this incredible creation are awed by its unmatched health-promoting powers. We tend to think of arthritis as an old age disease. Perhaps that is because the most common form of arthritis – the wear and tear – degenerative condition known as osteoarthritis (OA) – is most often seen in people over 60. But the OA is not the only form of arthritis. Although many of us refer to it as if it were a single disease, arthritis is actually a catchall term that covers more than 100 medical conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus, gout ad scleroderma. Arthritis can strike at any age often without warning. In various forms, if affects more than 70 miilion adults and 300,000 children in America alone. No matter what the source of arthritis, there is always the common factor of joint inflammation, often accompanied by pain, stiffness, restricted motion, warmth, swelling, and damage to the protective joint cartilage and surrounding tissues. This damage becomes progressively debilitating as joints become weakened and destabilized. Ultimately, arthritis can turn even the simplest daily tasks into a painful ordeal. For those diagnosed with systemic forms of arthritis, the situation can be far worse. Systemic arthritis can affect the whole body, wreaking havoc on the heart, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, and skin. <b>Leading Causes of Arthritis</b> It has been estimated that there are more than 200 causes of the various forms of arthritis. And yet, there are some key risk factors: <b>A. Cigarette Smoking</b> Smoking has been proven over and over again to increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. A recent large-scale study published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases concluded that even moderate smokers (6 per day) could increase their risk by as much as 1500%! <b>B. Obesity</b> Obesity is another major cause of arthritis. According to an article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the single biggest risk factor for osteoarthritis in the hips and hands of people older than 60 is being overweight. Reducing the symptoms of this painful disease should be a great inspiration to drop those pounds. In an Asian anti-obesity study, patients were given, goji each morning and each afternoon. Results were wonderful ith most patients losing significant weight. In a 2002 research at the Huazhong Agricultural University in China, it was revealed that goji’s master molecule polysaccharide improved the conversion of food into energy and reduced body weight. <b>C. Stress</b> Stress had been shown to be a major trigger in initiating a flare-up, thus it is important to avoid it when possible and to consider the use of relaxation techniques…and goji juice. Goji provides the energy reserves to help you handle just about any difficulty. In Asia, it is said that constant consumption of goji brings a cheerful attitude and nothing beats good cheer overcoming stress!