Health Tips

According to The Journal of Arthritis and Rheumatism, one out of every five Americans are afflicted with joint problems. No matter if you are a runner, weightlifter, or just a homebody, joint problems will most likely affect you at some point in your life. The good news is that there is a nutritional solution, Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate.

Glucosamine is your number one priority for joint health. This amino sugar is very important for the formation of bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and synovial (joint) fluid. Glucosamine supplementation has been proven to actually build joint cartilage in over 300 studies and 20 clinical trials.

Chondroitin Sulfate is also an important element in the development and maintenance of cartilage. When Chondroitin Sulfate attaches to cartilage it attracts water, which helps maintain healthy joints and blocking out certain enzymes that could rob your joints of much needed nutrients.

There are other ways to combat joint problems outside of the nutritional aspect:

- Loose weight. Reducing your weight can significantly reduce joint stress
- Exercise with a full range of motion.
- Varying your rep range when lifting weights.
- Varying high impact exercise to low impact exercise.
- Keeping your body flexible.

For optimal joint health follow the above guidelines and take a daily nutritional supplement that contains 1500 – 4000mg of Glucosamine and 500 – 700mg of Chondroitin Sulfate. There are other nutritional components that can be helpful like Niacinamide (B3) that might also be in your supplement, but Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate should be your priority. It will take about 4 – 6 weeks for your joints to show signs of improvement so be patient.