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Importance of Nutritional Supplements for Joint Care

by · May 5, 2018

lower leg cramps

Mucopolysaccharides, vitamin E, collagen, or vitamin C, are the most important types for joint care

An increasing number of studies demonstrate that our population suffers from multiple nutritional deficiencies. On one hand, our present-day lifestyle increases our nutritional needs but, on the other hand, people have less and less time to cook a healthy and balanced diet. Also, over the years our diet standards have varied substantially and we have ceased to include in our diet some nutrients essential for our health.
This is why the objective of nutritional supplement for sportspersons is to address the deficiencies in essential nutrients through our daily diet. Also, these deficiencies are higher in elite performance sportspersons, due basically to the physical and specialized exercise they perform. In these cases, nutritional supplements are fundamental to maintain an optimal physical performance of the sportsperson. Moreover, injuries are frequent among sportspersons, particularly those involving joints. This is why it is highly recommended taking nutritional supplements as these can prevent injuries as well as accelerating any recovery. In general, the main objective is to care for joints so that they suffer a minimum of stress, thus obtaining an optimal joint and sportive performance.


“ Mucopolysaccharides are responsable for giving elasticity and lubrication to our joints cartilage „

Nutritional supplements recommended for joint health are:

Mucopolysaccharides, which are substances that are made internally by the body naturally, and give elasticity and lubrication to the cartilage in the joints. In current diets, the comsumption of organ and meat fat has dropped enormously. These foods contain elevated doses of mucopolysaccharides. This is why it is important to supplement our diet with a nutritional supplement containing this substance. Vitamin E is an antioxidant vitamin that is essential for our boty, as it helps protect our joints. A nutritional supplement in the form of a combination of vitamin E and mucopolysaccharides is the perfect combination to care and nurture joint cartilage. Type I collagen is a fibrose protein forming the connective tissue. In relation to joints, high quantities of collagen are concentrated in these parts of the body transmitting strength, such as tendons. Collagen is the element giving tendons rigidity and resistance to traction when subjected to stress and flexibility when it is bent, compressed or twisted. Type I collagen added to a nutritional supplement is the ideal supplement to care the joint tendon. Vitamin C is vital to the formation of collagene. This is why we can say that vitamin C is resposible for maintaining the structure of tendons, ligaments, cartilage and bone. Vitamin C helps to synthesize collagen in the tendon, and therefore it is essential for our tendon’s health.

Mucopolysaccharides consumption over the years

Mucopolysaccharides give elasticity and lubrication to the cartilage

Over the years our diet standards have substantially changed. What follows is a diet that can help one to care for tendons.

Past diets

In past diets, approximately a century ago, one could find in homes gut-busting dishes such as pig’s feet, pig’s skin, tripe, beef tongue, cold meat, fried partridge blood, brains, ear, pig’s tail, lamb knuckle, etc., all of which were mucopolysaccharides-rich foods. This is why one had less joint wear even when doing an elevated amount of physical exercise.

Mucopolysaccharides

“ The diet of one century ago was richer in mucopolysaccharides than nowadays diet „
Purified mucopolysaccharides are natural substances that can be found in the body. These are responsible for giving joint cartilage its elasticity and lubrication. This is why it is important to ingest regularly mucopolysaccharides in order to keep one’s cartilage in good shape.

Nowadays Diet

Thankfully, today’s diet is much more varied; pasta, rice, cereals, bread, potato, fish, meat, milk and its derivatives, fruit, and vegetables. On the other hand, the comsumption of organ meat and meat fat, foods that contain elevated doses of mucopolysaccharides, have dropped enormously.
Generally speaking nowadays diet is much healthier. But, in return, this abandonment of some foods entails shortages of certain substances. These substances can only be supplied by adding to our diet certain nutritional supplements, and for proper joint care, should be mucopolysaccharides-rich .
One must also take into account that although this social and alimentary change that initially brought us a healthier and varied diet, as well as the rapid and easy access to all types of foods, has a double edge. Modern day’s lack of time has brought us also fast food with refined sugars, factory produced baked goods, saturated fats, sugary drinks, fats, excessive meat consumption, fried and coated foods, as well as a sedentary lifestyle that in many cases leads to obesity. All these factors are very harmful for our joints’ health.

This is why practicing sport regularly is recommended along with a healthy, balanced diet that is supplemented with a nutritional supplement rich in mucopolysaccharides.

Effects of antioxidants on the knees

Is taking antioxidants beneficial for the knee joint?

 

This study analyzes the effects on the knee structure by including antioxidants in the diet in a group of healthy middle-aged subjects, free of symptoms for knee arthrosis.

The ingestion of antioxidants through the diet and vitamin pills was evaluated in 293 healthy adults (average age of 58 years). The subjects did not have previous knee aches or injuries. After approximately 10 years, they were subjected to an MRI to asses the volume of cartilage, bone area, cartilage defects and bone marrow injuries.

In the multivariate analysis, a greater ingestion of vitamin C was associated with a reduced risk of injuries in bone marrow (odds ratio= 0.50, 95%, Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.29-0.87, P = 0.01). It was also associated with a decrease in osseous area in the tibial plateau (beta =-35.5, 95% CI =-68a8 a -2.3, P = 0.04). An inverse association was observed between fruit ingestion and bone area in the tibial plateau (beta = -27.8, 95% CI = -54.9 a -0.7, P = 0.04), as well as between fruit ingestion and risk of bone marrow injuries (odds ratio = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.2-0.99, P = 0.05). Ingestion of lutein and zeaxanthin was associated with a lower risk of defective cartilage (odds ratio = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.51-0.99, P= 0.04), while taking vitamin E tended to positively associate with the bone area of the tibial plateau (beta = 33.7, 95% CI = -3.1 a 70.4, P = 0.07), but only after adjustment of the ingestion of vitamin C. Taking beta cryptoxanthin was inversely associated to the osseous area of the tibial plateau after adjustment for the ingestion of vitamin E (beta = -33.2, 95% CI = -63.1 a -3.4, P = 0.03).
The results of this test suggest that comsumption of fruits and vitamin C has beneficial effects because of the association with a reduction of the osseous size and number of bone marrow injuries, as both processes are related with the pathogenesis of the knee arthrosis. Although these finding must be confirmed by longitudinal studies, they indicate a great potential by using diet to decrease the risk of suffering arthrosis.

“ The study points that comsumption of fruit and vitamins C and E have a beneficial effect for knee arthrosis cases „

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

Tendoactive
This is a supplement based on type I colagen, vitamin C, and mucopolysaccharides. Its special formula makes it suitable for sportspersons with tendon aches.

Mucopolysaccharides and Vitamin E
This formula is suitable for sportspersons subjected to severe wear of the joint cartilage.

 

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