Beta Glucan and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Rheumatoid arthritis is encountered in 3 out of 10000 people every year worldwide. It is usually seen between the ages of 35 and 50. If precautions are not taken, it may lead to synovial inflammation, destruction of bone and cartilage. Finally disability occurs in the later stages of the disease. It can shorten the patient’s life span by 10 years. The previous studies show that β-glucan alone decreased both the hind paw swelling and the arthrogram on days 21 and 28 of supplementation in rats. In vivo studies lead to the potential application of (1→3)-β-d-glucan derivatives in treating human rheumatoid arthritis