Now There's Relief For Your Joints!

The skeleton (see illustration), made up of all the body's bones, provides strength, stability, and a frame for muscles to work within to produce movement. Bones come together to form joints, most of which are in constant motion. The ends of bones are covered with cartilage, a smooth, tough, protective tissue that acts as a shock absorber and reduces friction.

Today, we are seeing increasing incidences of problems with the musculoskeletal system. We can help ourselves maintain our "body frame" health through nutrition and supplements. One of the most powerful musculoskeletal supplements is glucosamine.

Glusosamine is an aminosugar. It is made in the body from the simple carbohydrate glucose (sugar) and the amino acid glutamine. Although our bodies generally use glucose to produce energy, the aminosugars found in glucosamine are incorporated into the structure of body tissue. Glusocamine is involved in the formation of cartilage, nails, tendons, skin, eyes, bones, ligaments, and heart valves. It also plays a role in the mucous secretions of the digestive, respiratory, and urinary tracts. Of particular interest is its role in cartilage.

Cartilage is connective tissue at the ends of bones (where it is known as articular cartilage). It separates bones so that they do not grind together, causing stiffness and pain. Cartilage also serves as a shock absorber. Briefly put, cartilage protects our bones from the wear and tear of movement.

One way to think of cartilage is as a super sponge. It soaks up water (more accurately, synovial fluid) when a joint is at rest, and squeezes out the water when a joint moves. As the joint rests again, it again soaks up water. This spongelike effect of cartilage makes it a shock absorber, buffering our bones and body from the wear and tear of making thousands of movements per day. Cartilage is also slippery – five to eight times more slippery than ice. Thus, when two bones do meet, the cartilage at the ends of each bone allows them to slide off each other, adding to the buffering effect.

As we age, the millions of movements we have made in our lives begin to wear and tear on cartilage. Cartilage begins to deteriorate, and our bones begin to rub together. This becomes noticeable around age 45, and often happens in the fingers, knees, hips, neck, and lower back. Cartilage can also be destroyed through trauma, injury, and repetitive actions. The result is that we begin to feel our bones rubbing together during movement. We experience pain and stiffness.

One way to counter the deterioration and destruction of cartilage is to increase the amount of glucosamine your body has. Remember, glucosamine helps the body build and repair damaged cartilage. Glucosamine is not only a "builder" but also a painkiller. It improves joint function and reduces pain. It makes no difference whether it comes from foods we eat or from supplements.

Many clinical trials have demonstrated that glucosamine results in less pain due to cartilage deterioration and a wider range of movement.