Natural treatments for sickle cell disease
Natural treatments for sickle cell disease focus on managing symptoms and improving overall health through various supplements and herbal remedies. Sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder, leads to the production of abnormal hemoglobin, causing red blood cells to assume a sickle shape, which can block blood vessels and result in pain and organ damage. A notable proposed treatment is zinc supplementation, which may benefit children by enhancing growth and reducing the frequency of sickle cell crises. Additional natural treatments include fish oil, which could potentially lessen painful episodes, and herbal remedies such as aloe vera and lemongrass tea, which have shown some promise in preliminary studies.
Other suggested treatments involve a variety of vitamins and compounds, including alpha-linolenic acid, coenzyme Q10, and several B vitamins, although the evidence supporting their efficacy is still limited. Garlic is also noted for its anti-inflammatory properties, but research results vary. While some individuals may seek these natural options, it is crucial to approach such treatments under medical supervision to ensure safety and effectiveness, particularly given the complexities of sickle cell disease management.
Natural treatments for sickle cell disease
- PRINCIPAL PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENT: Zinc
- OTHER PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENTS: Alpha-linolenic acid, beta-carotene, coenzyme Q10, fish oil, folate, garlic, green tea, lipoic acid, magnesium, oligomeric proanthocyanidins, suma, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E
DEFINITION: Treatment of an inherited blood disorder characterized by anemia, clogged blood vessels, and organ and tissue damage.
Introduction
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder. Normally, red blood cells are disc-shaped and flexible. In sickle cell disease, however, hemoglobinthe chemical within red blood cells that carries oxygen around the bodyis abnormal. This causes red blood cells to collapse into a crescent, or sickle, shape.
There are several types of sickle cell diseases, including hemoglobin SS (HbSS), Hemoglobin SC (HbSC), Hemoglobin (HbS) beta thalassemia plus (HbS beta +), and Hemoglobin (HbS) beta thalassemia zero (HbS beta 0). Other rare forms exist, but more than 65 percent of individuals diagnosed with sickle cell disease have HbSS. The term "sickle cell anemia" refers to the forms of the disease that result in the most severe anemia, which are HbSS and HbS beta 0.
These abnormal blood cells are destroyed at an unusually high rate, causing a shortage of red blood cells (anemia). In addition, they can suddenly clump together and clog up small blood vessels throughout the body. This clumping causes what is called a sickle cell crisis. When blood vessels are blocked by sickle-shaped red blood cells, parts of the body are deprived of oxygen. This can cause severe pain and damage to the organs and tissues that are deprived.
The common triggers of sickle cell crisis include smoking, exercise, exposure to high altitudes, fever, infection, dehydration, and the drop in oxygen and changes in air pressure that can occur during air travel. Diagnosis of sickle cell disease and sickle cell traita condition in which a person has one of the two genes necessary to develop sickle cell diseasecan be made through blood testing using a technique called hemoglobin electrophoresis.
Treatment involves managing the anemia, chronic pain, and organ damage caused by sickle cell disease. In addition, the drug hydroxyurea can reduce occurrences of sickle cell crisis. It is also important to minimize exposure to conditions or situations that can trigger a sickle cell crisis.
Principal Proposed Natural Treatments
Children with sickle cell disease often develop more slowly than their peers. There is some evidence that people with sickle cell disease are more likely than others to be deficient in the mineral zinc, which may also have a delayed development effect. For this reason, zinc supplementation at nutritional doses has been suggested for children with sickle cell disease.
In a placebo-controlled study, forty-two children aged four to ten with sickle cell disease were given either zinc supplements at 10 milligrams (mg) daily, or a placebo for one year. Results showed that by the end of the study, the participants given zinc showed enhanced growth compared to those given a placebo. Curiously, researchers did not find a connection between the severity of zinc deficiency and the extent of response to treatment.
Zinc is thought to have a stabilizing effect on the cell membrane of red blood cells in people with sickle cell disease. For this reason, it has been tried to aid in preventing sickle cell crises. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 145 people with sickle cell disease conducted in India, participants received either a placebo or about 50 mg of zinc three times daily. During eighteen months of treatment, the zinc-treated subjects had an average of 2.5 crises, compared to 5.3 crises for the placebo group. However, zinc did not seem to reduce the severity of a crisis, as measured by the number of days spent in the hospital for each crisis.
Sickle cell disease can also cause skin ulcers, or nonhealing sores. In a twelve-week, placebo-controlled trial, the use of zinc at 88 mg three times per day enhanced the rate of ulcer healing. In another placebo-controlled trial, 25 mg of zinc three times per day for three months reduced the frequency of infections in children with sickle cell disease.
The high dosages of zinc used in the last two studies can cause dangerous toxicity and should be taken only under the supervision of a doctor. The nutritional dose described in the first study, however, is safe.
Other Proposed Natural Treatments
A year-long, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of eighty-two people with sickle cell disease tested a combination herbal treatment made from plants indigenous to Nigeria. The results indicate that the use of the herbal mixture reduced the incidence of sickle cell crisis. A small, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found intriguing evidence that fish oil may reduce the frequency of painful sickle cell episodes, possibly by reducing the tendency of the blood to clot.
One small study suggested that the leaves and seeds of the pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), as well as the leaves of artar root and papaya, may help with sickle cell disease by protecting against red blood cell damage. Fish oil supplemental and increasing fluids may also provide benefits.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health supports the use of aloe vera extract to limit pain and sickle cell crisis, but the research supporting aloe's use is mixed. Drinking tea made from lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) has been found to increase red blood cell counts in individuals with sickle cell, but the studies verifying the use of this herb were observational. Because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, garlic (Allium Sativum) has also been proposed as a treatment. A review of twenty-first-century research found relatively positive impacts of using garlic supplements in many patients, but results were mixed, and most studies were poorly constructed or exhibited bias.
Also suggested for people with sickle cell disease are numerous other herbs and supplements, including alpha-linolenic acid, beta-carotene, coenzyme Q10, folate, garlic, green tea, lipoic acid, magnesium, oligomeric proanthocyanidins, suma, turmeric, fenugreek, and vitamins B2, B6, B12, C, and E, but the supporting evidence for these treatments remains far too preliminary to be relied upon.
Bibliography
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