Everyone, especially athletes or those who like to work out their bodies extending their muscles, appreciates the value which is flexibility in the joints, which provides for painless fluid ease of movement in whatever activity that they choose to participate in.
Most however will take this ease of flexibility in their limbs for granted especially when younger, until the realization hits that the joints in the body becomes increasingly stiff, sore and painful with continued use of performing various activity.
To combat this, there are sources of proven nutrients which are available that have proven to be vital sources for the reconstruct and the maintenance of healthy joint structure, allowing for better functionality while providing ease of mobility.
These are the nutrients which are referred to as chondro-protective agents, which includes glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM, which supplies the raw materials which are needed to reproduce new cartilage in the damaged or painful area of the worn out joint cartilage.
Other proven chondro protective nutrients along with herbal solutions include, Cetyl Myristoleate and Boswellia. What they do is work in synergy with glucosamine and chondroitin, which are known to further support better joint function.
What Causes Joint Pain
As we age, the collagen in the body breaks down, thus the cartilage and bone is subject to grinding wear and tear while the cellular regeneration lowers, leaving it exposed to further damage, illness, and pain.
The pain which occurs between the joints is primarily because of the thinning of the cartilage, which then no longer acts as the shock absorber it should. Then inflammation of the joints occur due to increased friction, which wears down the cartilage and bone, resulting in joint deformity and eventually arthritis.
Athletes and weekend sports enthusiasts who are engaged especially in high impact sports such as soccer, tennis, running etc., are the ones who are most commonly subject to severe joint pain, this especially in their later years.
How The Joint Pain Repair Works
To understand how these chondro-protective agents work, what must first be understood is how the joints in the body function. The key element that’s in human joints is what’s known as articular cartilage, which is a shock absorbing tissue that connects two bones together, allowing for that pain free movement.
Articular cartilage comprises of two different molecules, collagen and proteoglycans, with the remainder of the cartilage containing fluid, primarily water.
Collagen is a protein which binds the tissues together, providing elasticity. Proteoglycans is composed of protein and sugars which absorbs the water which provides resiliency and lubrication, thus acting as nature’s perfect shock absorber for your joints.
Both of these compounds are produced by chondrocytes, which are caretaker cells that’s responsible for the formation and the maintenance of cartilage. Once a deficiency occurs in any one of these constituents, what increases is the likelihood of wear and tear on the articular cartilage, leading towards compromised joint function.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are proven safe natural and effective nutrients which supports healthy joint function by supplying the substance which are needed to produce collagen and proteoglycans.
The Natural Sources Of Joint Pain Relief
• Chondroitin Sulfate – What chondroitin sulfate consists of is repeating chains of molecules which are known as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Chondroitin sulfate is the major constituent of cartilage, which provides structure, holding nutrients and water.
What this allows for is all of the other molecules to be able to move through the cartilage, which is considered an extremely important property as there’s no blood that’s supplied to the cartilage. The only known significant food source of chondroitin sulfate is from animal cartilage.
• Glucosamine – The composition of glucosamine is glucose which is a sugar, along with glutamine which is an amino acid. It’s utilized by chondrocytes to form proteoglycans (PG) and glycosaminoglycans (GSG).
What using both of these constituents does is it attracts and then binds water into the cartilage of the joint, which increases its resiliency. Research has shown that glucosamine may actually be able to help the body repair eroded or damaged cartilage.
There are also a number of studies which have shown that both glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride used together offers the most positive results, while glucosamine sulfate is considered to be the more effective of the two.
For this reason, glucosamine has dominated the market among other natural supplements when it comes to the natural ease of joint pain. The majority of practitioners prefers to recommend this combination for safe effective results.
Most users have also found this combination to be the most effective, this especially for runners who tends to develop joint related issues in their hips and knees.
Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are known to be absorbed well by the molecules which makes up the cartilage. These nutrient substances however are not available from the food we eat. It’s also not uncommon for the need to take these supplements indefinitely, this to continue experiencing relief.
• MSM – MSM (Methyl-sulfonyl-methane) is a sulfur compound which naturally occurs in the body, as well as found in a lot of common beverages and food, including coffee and tea, milk, and dark green vegetables.
In its purified form, it becomes completely odorless and essentially tasteless, a white crystalline solid which becomes completely water soluble. As a result, it’s considered to be one of the most safest substances in biology.
The Use Of Natural Supplements
What this does is it gives joint pain suffers additional reason for them at the very least, to give these natural supplements such as glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, or MSM, or a combination, a chance before they endure more expensive and painful approaches such as surgery.