Supplements for Bone and Joint Health
Bone And Joint Health Articles > Supplements for Bone and Joint Health
While the best way to ensure bone and joint health is through proper diet and exercise, supplements when taken judiciously can both improve overall health as well as alleviate symptoms of specific bone and joint health problems.
The FDA defines supplements as any product intended for ingestion as a supplement to the diet. This definition includes vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals and other plant-derived substances, amino acids (the individual building blocks of protein) and concentrates, metabolites, constituents and extracts of these substances. A supplement is added to a person's diet for the purpose of correcting or preventing a deficiency or for a condition caused by low levels of the supplement.
The most popular supplement for bone and joint health is calcium. Calcium is used by the body to produce bones. Therefore, the body requires a minimum intake of 1200 mg of calcium per day. While there are numerous sources of calcium viz., dairy products, nuts, seeds, especially sesame, soya produce, whole grains, vegetables and fish, calcium supplements may also be taken in case the daily requirement is not met through diet alone. Popular calcium supplements include calcium carbonate or calcium citrate. If taking calcium supplements, it is advisable to check that other minerals necessary for calcium absorption like Vitamin D, phosphorous and magnesium, are also present.
With advancing age, other essential nutrients should also be taken in as supplements. Nutrients such as glucosamine and chondroitin provide the necessary building blocks needed for cartilage repair and maintenance. Glucosamine is believed to play a role in cartilage formation and repair, while chondroitin gives cartilage its elasticity. Other herbs and phytonutrients like ipriflavone, glucosamine, soy, cartilage, bioflavonoids, bromelain also play important roles. Essential fatty acids, particularly gamma linoleic acid, play a key role in joint lubrication as well as in the regulation of the body’s inflammatory process. Many of these very important nutrients should be supplemented as part of a comprehensive program designed to optimize skeletal system function. Menopausal women should consider hormone replacement therapy as well.
For those suffering from osteoarthritis, supplements consisting of Glucosamine Sulfate and chondroitin have been found to be useful. Other useful supplements include Evening Primrose oil, shellfish oil and bone and joint health related herbs and spices like Ginger, holy basil, turmeric, green tea, rosemary, scutlellaria and huzhang.
For osteoporosis patients, in addition to a calcium/magnesium supplement, Vitamin K supplements have also been recently found to be useful. vitamin K helps activate certain proteins that are involved in the structuring of bone mass and thereby promotes bone and joint health.
Another option is natural and herbal supplements. Claiming to be free of side effects, these are growing in popularity in the US and around the world. However, the industry is unregulated and many of its claims are scientifically unverified.
Ideally, the supplements should reinforce and not supplant a healthy diet. Also, it is important that a physician’s advice is taken while deciding what supplements to take.