The term arthroses encompasses a quantity of joint pathologies from the most to the least disabling. Among people over age 50, these pathologies are a primary cause of "poor living" and represent the most disabling health problem for a large proportion of them. Supporting evidence, clinical examinations such as x-rays, show that more than 50% of these individuals have actual cartilage degradation to varying degrees and this proportion increases with age.
Cartilage is a connective tissue that covers the bone ends and provides a sort of protective film for the joint. It represents the essential partof the joint since it is the one that, when intact, allows thesliding of the bones without difficulties, nor pain. This cartilage tissue has an extraordinary damping capacity with respect to mechanical stresses during movement.
Cartilage is mainly composed of water
In a proportion of 70 to 85%, retained by the fundamental substance of cartilage. The chondrocytes that make up cartilage participate in the synthesis and maintenance of cartilage tissue. These cells synthesize and degrade the major components of this tissue. The main framework of cartilage tissue is made up of the fundamental substance, which is itself composed of proteoglycans and collagen fibers (type 2 and 9) constituting the framework that structures the whole.
Proteoglycans have long been referred to as "acidic mucopolysaccharides" because of their high water retention nature of carbohydrates and their acidic character from their multiple negative charges. These long protein chains are composed of basic molecules containing glucosamine or galactosamine, glucuronic acid, iduronic acid and galactose. It is too often considered Oarthritis as an inevitability that must be endured by resorting to aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and other classic deleterious procedures such as infiltrations for example.
You should never lose sight of the fact that your body has enormous potential for regenerative power, and that like all human tissues, articular cartilage is alive, nourished, replenished and regenerated every 3 months. This regeneration takes place regardless of the age of the subject, and can be stimulated by gentle techniques, such as osteopathy for example.
Contrary to popular belief, another interesting hypothesis puts forward that it would not be advancing age that would be the main cause of osteoarthritis, but rather a dysfunction of the cartilage regeneration metabolism favored by various microtraumas consequences of the subject's lifestyle.
As explained above, chondrocytes generate the fundamental substance of cartilage, ie, proteoglycans and collagen. In particular, type II collagen which representsthe true skeleton of cartilage. In osteoarthritis pathology, the loss of proteoglycans was found to be rapid, but reversible and rapidly replaced. On the other hand, the loss of collagen would be much slower, but irreversible. It is therefore the collagen that must be particularly preserved.
For reasons that are not yet fully understood, accompanied or not by abnormal mechanical stresses on the the joint (age, obesity, heredity, trauma, posture disorders, intense sports activities, professional activities ...), enzymatic disorders of cartilage regeneration will progressively appear and modify its structure and its constitution, particularly in its collagen component.
Gradually, the cartilage will become depleted, destructured and thinned inducing what is called an arthritic state. This osteoarthritic evolution is not inevitable, if care is taken to nurture and maintain the cartilage matrix that guarantees cartilage quality. Oarthritis can be prevented and slowed before the onset of mechanical disorders and greatly improved even if pain is already established.
Clearly, to provide cartilage with the maximum chance of rebuilding, it must be provided with raw material in the form of targeted nutrients through quality dietary supplements.The provision of adequate nutrients can have a remarkable effect on the physiology, metabolism, and composition of the cartilage matrix on which the condition of the cartilage and joints.
For example, the regular supply of glucosamine has been part of the means used by many of arthritis sufferers for several years in order to relieve and palliate their health problem. Although many people are satisfied with the use of some natural and glucosamine-based complexes, however, the real and documented results are not always the same from person to person.
An original patented dietary supplement developed by a Korean university combines fibers from theapple pectinand seaweedwith glucosamineobtained from chitin. This dietary supplement based on soluble dietary fibers, stimulates the functions of the cells that make up the cartilage matrix and thereby increases and improves the constituent elements of cartilage, in particular structural joint collagen (type 2). Its regular consumption ensures a 20-30% increase in the production of proteoglycans, a key factor inwater retention, which is essential for the functional quality of cartilage. It appears to be primarily the fibers extracted from applepectin and seaweed that act to restore type II collagen, the keystone of cartilage architecture. It also reduces inflammation.
Various clinical studies, conducted on animals and humans, have shown an improvement in joint function and a very strong decrease in pain, see a complete disappearance of it after 2 to 3 months of treatment. The X-ray image shows an improvement in the condition of the cartilage in 50% of cases after 6 to 9 months of regular intake. It is therefore a basic treatment of cartilage genesis whose daily consumption proves useful from the age of 50, thus allowing to avoid the appearance of joint problems.