Vitamin Supplements

The ability to keep your bones strong (a prerequisite for preventing arthritis and osteoporosis) depends to a large extent on how your body makes use of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Of these, calcium is the most abundant mineral in bone. However, more and more evidence is accumulating to show that dietary calcium intake is only one of a number of factors that influence the proper use of calcium in the body. The degeneration of cartilage seems to herald the beginning of osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. And the cartilage of osteoarthritic sufferers appears to be different in composition from that of non-sufferers.

WHAT IS CARTILAGE?

Cartilage is what we often call ‘gristle’ — the Adam’s apple, the tip of the nose, bone ends, and the shock absorbers between our spinal vertebrae are all made of cartilage. It is a tough, elastic, translucent material. The cartilage at bone ends is called fibro-cartilage and is the strongest of all.

Cells that produce cartilage are called chondrocytes. Cartilage is made of collagen and proteoglycans (a complex of protein and carbohydrate) which together act as a kind of intercellular glue. It is this complex that is thought to give cartilage its special properties. Bone formation requires both the ‘glue’ (collagen and proteoglycans) and the bricks, which are principally calcium and phosphorus which combine into a compound known as hydroxyapatite.

How CAN CARTILAGE BE STRENGTHENED?

Much research has focused on ways of improving the body’s ability to make healthy cartilage and heal joints. To this end, extracts from shark cartilage and green-lipped mussels have entered the repertoire of arthritis remedies. As bizarre as this may sound, there is a good reason for it. The green-lipped mussel contains high levels of protein, vitamins and minerals, and a type of proteoglycans, which is a natural joint lubricant and component of all cartilage. Shark cartilage, a recent addition to healthfood shop shelves, may have a similar effect. Most recently, though, glucosamine sulphate and chondroitin have become popular, effective and economical supplements for people with arthritis.

The theory, in accordance with the basic principle of `optimum nutrition‘, is that if you provide your body cells with the materials they need to do their job properly, they will. If arthritics lack the necessary components to make healthy cartilage, why not provide them? It is certainly far less invasive than giving drugs that suppress the symptoms but do nothing to stop the disease. Unlike other body tissue, cartilage has no blood or nerve supply. Cartilage relies on nutrients within the body’s internal fluids which are moved around joint spaces by means of compression and relaxation. Thus, exercise is another way to improve nutrient transport to cartilage. During the day the cartilaginous discs between spinal vertebrae are compressed. At night, when we lie down, these discs expand, sucking in nutrients from surrounding body fluids.

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