Plus, the long-forgotten ancient remedies that DO
I would have bet my right knee that at least 90 percent of my readers think glucosamine and chondroitin are a one-stop solution to arthritis pain. But since I researched the secrets to real natural joint relief, I am going to keep that knee after all. Which just goes to show that “it pays to advertise,” or marketing works.
If only glucosamine and chondroitin actually worked as well.
If glucosamine and chondroitin were truly the wonder nutrient supplements that marketers claim they are, we wouldn’t still be talking about arthritis. In fact, with all the “solutions” that have been dumped onto the public for decades, joint pain should have gone the way of the dinosaurs years ago.
Yet, as long as there have been joints, there has been joint pain.
Historians tell us that, unlike many common diseases that have become more prevalent in our modern industrialized era (think cancer and heart disease), arthritis has been afflicting humans since prehistoric times. In fact, paleopathologists estimate almost half of early humans—as far back as Neanderthal man—suffered some sort of joint condition.
Unfortunately, the best- documented health problem in human history is plaguing us still. And it will for generations to come—if we keep putting faith in supplements that get it all wrong.
But the good news is when an ailment has this much history, we have the benefit of millennia of trial and error before us. And our ancestors—from many cultures around the world—have left us clues that point us to real solutions for joint pain.
I’ve spent years investigating history’s clues, and I’ve found alternatives to glucosamine and chondroitin that actually work.
I’ll tell you in a moment about that solution, but first we need to understand what causes joint problems as you age.
The REAL cause of joint pain is something glucosamine can’t touch
Joint pain fits into one of four categories:
(1) Osteoarthritis. Deterioration from “wear-and-tear” on joints that leads to painful inflammation.
(2) Rheumatoid arthritis. The immune system itself attacks joints, causing pain and deterioration.
(3) Degeneration of the discs. The discs between the vertebrae in the spine wear down, causing neck and back pain.
(4) Pains of undetermined nature. These may be linked to mind-body-immune system connections, as explained in my book with Mike Jawer, Your Emotional Type (www.drmicozzi. com).
But while there are different types of joint pain, they ultimately have one thing in common—inflammation.
So if we can treat inflammation, we can do away with these ailments. Simple, right?
But here’s the thing: glucosamine and chondroitin—the most common natural products used to treat joint deterioration and pain do not have the power to correct inflammation in the joints.
Joint remedies that actually do the job need to address the cause of joint damage. And the fact is that inflammation plays a central role.
Here’s what you need to know about joints and bones, and why you can’t treat joint pain effectively without treating inflammation:
(1) Our body is constantly absorbing and replacing old bone with new, healthy bone.
(2) Where one bone meets another, the bones are covered in cushioning called cartilage. This keeps bones from rubbing against each other.
(3) Cartilage is nourished by fluid called synovial fluid, which fills the spaces in the joints, between the bones.
(4) When the joints are inflamed, cartilage can’t get the nourishment it needs from the synovial fluid. So inflammation destroys normal cartilage tissue and gets in the way of new, healthy cartilage being formed.
(5) If inflammation is controlled, the body can again begin forming and nourishing new, healthy cartilage. The result? Normal, healthy, comfortable joints.
In some cases of joint pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation comes first and destroys cartilage and—if left unchecked—bone.
In other cases, like osteoarthritis, the “wear and tear” destruction of cartilage leads to inflammation in the joint tissues. Either way, what results is a vicious cycle that can only be interrupted in one way: by controlling inflammation.
Here’s why that’s so important: once you control inflammation, the damaged joints and underlying bones can begin to heal themselves. This self-healing ability of bones and joints is the basis of all natural healing in all tissues of the body. No matter how many so-called bone-supporting nutrients you pour into the system (assuming they even make it into your joints), they won’t work if you don’t stop the inflammation cycle.
Can your body even use glucosamine and chondroitin?
Many doctors and medical scientists have questioned for decades whether glucosamine (a sugar amine) is even sufficiently absorbed into the joint tissues, believing that it is destroyed in the gastrointestinal tract and/or the bloodstream before it can even enter the joints. It is, after all, a combination of glucose or sugar (which is readily metabolized for energy) and an amine, which like most protein constituents, are broken apart by digestion and enzymes.
Chondroitin comes with its own list of issues. Concerns have been raised about the source it comes from and how well the body can actually absorb it, and to what extent. It seems like most all the “new” discoveries over the years when it comes to chondroitin have to do with some new, exotic species or location from which this common natural substance is harvested. This has made for some putatively attractive marketing pitches…but not evidence that it is absorbed into the body and actually works for joint pain. That’s why chondroitin has become widely regarded in the medical community as worthless.
Side effects of glucosamine include digestive complaints such as abdominal pain, poor appetite, nausea, heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting. Which makes sense for something that is not being absorbed properly in the gastrointestinal tract.
History holds the secret to joint relief
Modern science is proving what our ancestors knew: Natural remedies can curb inflammation and promote bone and joint health.
Do you remember what the wise men brought as gifts to celebrate the birth of Jesus? Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Believe it or not, all three of those are proven arthritis remedies (and you can trust men who just walked halfway around the world to know what soothes achy joints!). No wonder they were so valuable.
Gold injected into the joints actually does help arthritis, but its expense puts it out of reach for most of us. Frankincense and myrrh, on the other hand, have a long history in supporting joints—and new research continues to support their use.
Frankincense, also known as Boswellia, is best known in the West as a potent incense that fills churches with a familiar fragrance. But far beyond smelling good, frankincense is valued for its medicinal properties. In fact, it has held an important place in Asian medicine for millennia. Ayurvedic practitioners have known for ages that Boswellia is a key treatment for joints. And the reason it works: It stops inflammation.
And, again, that allows your cartilage to rebuild itself. Like most natural healing, rebuilding healthy bone and cartilage to a permanent solution is a slow and steady process that takes time. But if you take care of the inflammation in the meantime, it helps stop the pain and increases mobility, while allowing the joint to repair itself over time.
Myrrh, found in abundance in the Middle East, is valued for its anti- inflammatory effects too. In fact, it’s held in such high esteem that it was one of the gifts the Queen of Sheba brought to King Solomon.
If you’re looking for a joint supplement today, you’d do well to find one that has these potent herbal anti-inflammatories, as well as some specific nutrients whose effectiveness is proven by modern science.
The first is vitamin D, which even the government recognizes as being critical for bone health (though it largely ignores vitamin D’s other health benefits). A healthy dose is 1,000–2,000 mg per day.
The second is best known for preventing and treating colds— and even cancer—but it’s rarely discussed for bone health. However, the importance of vitamin C for bone and connective tissue health should not be overlooked. An effective dose of vitamin C is in the range of 500 to 1,000 mg a day. But even without supplements, dietary sources alone can be extremely effective for bone and connective tissue health if you get enough of the right foods (see the Insiders’ Cures bonus report “Top-of- the-Food-Chain” Cure for Obesity that came with your subscription).
A little bit of “un-learning” goes a long way
I hope this article has helped you un-learn what the natural products marketing masterminds have led you to believe about protecting and rebuilding joints, but just to make sure, let me put the issue to rest once and for all…
Glucosamine and chondroitin are NOT your one-stop arthritis cure!
Because they do not stop joint inflammation! If you want to stop arthritis pain today and give your joints a chance to heal naturally tomorrow, you need to stop inflammation. And to do that, trust the natural anti-inflammatories with centuries of history backing them up.