By Previnex®
Taking care of your joints is a key part of living a healthy, active lifestyle. One of the best ways to ensure your joints are taken care of is to invest in a high-quality joint health supplement. But before you pick from the broad landscape of dietary supplements, we want you to be educated and prepared. So let’s dive into all things joint health — its importance, the best supplements, how they work, vitamins, and so much more!
Introduction to Joint Health
Joints are the connections between bones, allowing your body to move and be flexible. There are hinge joints (like your knees), ball-and-socket joints (like your hips), and pivot joints (like your neck). Joints are made up of bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, bursae, and synovial membranes. All joints and their individual parts serve a specific purpose, so keeping them healthy and in working order is important. Incorporating tips to ease joint pain into your routine can help maintain joint health and improve overall mobility.
Importance of Joint Health
Keeping your joints healthy helps you live an active lifestyle, move around comfortably, and function better together. One of the best ways to keep your joints healthy is to be mobile and active.
What Are The Most Common Joint Problems?
There is a wide variety of ailments and conditions that could contribute to joint health issues and joint pain including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, bursitis and tendonitis.
Osteoarthritis
This is the most common type of arthritis, most commonly seen in older adults. This type of arthritis pain occurs when the cartilage around your joints wears out, breaks down, and causes the bones to rub together, creating unnecessary friction. Hand, hip, neck, spine, and knee osteoarthritis are among the most common types.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
This type of joint health issue is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks joint tissue as if it were a disease-inducing germ (like a virus). RA causes swelling and pain in your joints and can even cause your joints to deform due to the ligaments surrounding the joints weakening.
Gout
This is caused by a buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints, most commonly occurring in the big toe. It’s an incredibly painful condition, causing severe pain and swelling.
Bursitis
This is caused by overusing a joint—typically, bursitis happens in the hip, knee, elbow, or shoulder. Ultimately, bursitis is painful swelling in a small, fluid-filled sac called a bursa, which cushions spaces around bones and other tissue. But when this sac becomes irritated and swells, bursitis happens.
Tendonitis
This is the inflammation of your tendons. Typically, tendonitis happens in the elbow, heel, or shoulder and is often caused by overuse.
What Are The Best Supplements For Joint Health?
There’s a myriad of supplements that are beneficial for joint health and reducing joint pain. Some of the most common are omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, collagen, glucosamine and turmeric.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids - healthy fats that can only be gained from your diet or supplements. Most commonly found in high-quality fish.
- Vitamin D - is a nutrient that helps regulate calcium in the body, and when it’s deficient, it can cause muscle and joint pain (including Rheumatoid Arthritis).
- Collagen - accounts for 30% of your body’s protein and is the primary building block of skin, muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
- Glucosamine - is a natural chemical compound found in the cartilage of your body, and it can also be found in supplement form. Glucosamine supplements made of glucosamine hydrochloride or glucosamine sulfate are typically used to treat pain from osteoarthritis of the knee.
- Turmeric - native to Southeast Asia (India), turmeric has been used to treat skin disorders, upper respiratory issues, joint pain, and the digestive system thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties.
What Is the Best Supplement to Take for Joints?
The market is flooded with joint supplements. The question becomes: what is the best joint supplement? Well, that’s really up to you (and the ingredients in each supplement). Even still, let’s look at some of the most popular joint health supplements on the market!
Top Recommended Joint Supplements
Some of the most popular joint health supplements come from Thorne, Klean, Life Extension, and Previnex®.
Previnex Joint Health PLUS®
This supplement is a high-quality, clinically effective joint health supplement designed to reduce joint inflammation, provide joint protection and pain relief, and is proven to be more effective than any other joint supplement on the market. It uses an ingredient called NEM® (natural eggshell membrane), which is clinically proven to be 5x more beneficial than glucosamine and chondroitin supplements alone or in combination. Previnex Joint Health PLUS® is a great, affordable option for those looking to improve their overall joint health!
Thorne Joint Support Nutrients
This supplement includes glucosamine, Boswellia, curcumin, and MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), all of which help with joint mobility, overall healing, and decreasing joint stiffness. According to the company, Thorne Joint Support Nutrients is also third-party tested.
Klean Athlete Collagen + C
This collagen helps support joint health and athletic performance. It is NSF Certified for Sport and contains hydrolyzed collagen and Vitamin C, which help increase collagen production and fight oxidative stress. Klean Athlete Collagen + C is third-party tested.
Life Extension MSM
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is often used by those looking for a natural way to relieve joint pain, reduce inflammation, and boost immunity. Research also supports MSM’s use in treating arthritis, rosacea, and more. Life Extension MSM is unique because it offers MSM as a single active ingredient and is third-party tested using consumerlab.com.
Key Ingredients to Look For
The ingredients proven to aid in overall joint health are Boswellia, NEM, MSM, Collagen, Glucosamine, Curcumin (found in Turmeric), and Chondroitin. When you’re looking for a joint health supplement, it’s important to look for these ingredients.
Benefits of Taking Joint Supplements
Ultimately, joint supplements can help increase your range of motion, decrease pain, help your body recover from injury, and keep the overall health of your joints in a good place. Especially with an athletic lifestyle, taking a high-quality joint supplement can keep your joints healthy enough to maintain that lifestyle.
Do Joint Supplements Actually Work?
There’s a lot of noise around the effectiveness of supplements, but ultimately, yes—joint supplements work based on clinical studies! Let’s dig into some of the research.
Research and Studies on Joint Supplement Effectiveness
In one meta-analysis of 52 studies, multiple supplements/ingredients were evaluated for their effectiveness on joint health—more specifically, on the symptoms of osteoarthritis. The studies looked at Vitamin D, Curcumin, Ginger, Vitamin E, Multivitamin, Herbal Formulations, Omega-3, and other nutritional supplements. This meta-analysis used the total Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to measure pain scores among patients.
When looking at the effectiveness of Vitamin D on joint health, a significant decrease in VAS pain and WOMAC function was observed. When looking at Circumin, studies showed that all clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis improved with supplementation, and improvement was large for VAS pain and WOMAC function. In studying Ginger, the only clinical parameter that significantly decreased was VAS pain. For Vitamin E and multivitamins, there were no significant improvements or decreases in all clinical osteoarthritis parameters.
When assessing the efficacy of Herbal Formulations, they looked at the effects of traditional officinal plants from ayurvedic medicine, such as Boswellia, Circuma, Urtica dioica, Piper Nigrum, and Tinospora cordifolia, which provided them with a wide array of herbs to look at. Ultimately, WOMAC stiffness was the only clinical parameter that significantly decreased in the 2-8 week studies. Additionally, the safety of herbal formulations was good, and no severe side effects were observed.
When the studies looked at the efficacy of Omega-3s, WOMAC function was significantly improved, but no other markers were deemed significant. Lastly, when looking at other nutritional supplements (such as strawberries, deer bone, melon, sesame, cherry, garlic, and green muscle), WOMAC function did not improve, but the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) did improve significantly.
Real-Life Testimonials
For the Previnex Joint Health PLUS® supplement, customers have said:
- “I noticed less joint pain after taking this supplement for a month. Will continue taking it.” - Ann S.
- “I am very happy with this product. It helps with my hips.” - Amina G.
- “I have been taking the Joint Health PLUS® since I did the 7-day detox and have had no joint pain. I have also moderated many inflammatory foods in my diet, so it’s likely a combination of those factors, but regardless, I will keep taking Joint Health PLUS® as a supplement.” - Heather F.
- “I was skeptical, but I do feel better on my runs, and this was the only change I made.” - Carol W.
- “I’m a marathon runner, and I’ve had issues with minor injuries (ankle and knee tendonitis). It has helped my body feel strong through my high mileage weeks!” - Grant E.
What Vitamin Am I Lacking If My Joints Hurt?
If you’re struggling with joint pain, it may be linked to a Vitamin D deficiency. Being Vitamin D deficient can include muscle pain in your joints and even rheumatoid arthritis.
Common Vitamins for Joint Health
A few of the most essential vitamins for joints and maintaining healthy bones are Vitamin D, Vitamin K, and Calcium.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D can increase bone mass and prevent bone loss, as well as help your body absorb calcium! A few ways to increase your Vitamin D intake are:
- A high-quality Vitamin D supplement
- Sun exposure
- Milk
- Fatty fish (trout, salmon, tuna)
- Beef liver
- Egg yolk
- Cheese
- Mushrooms
Vitamin K
Vitamin K helps activate proteins in the body that help with bone formation, ultimately preventing the weakening of bones. A Vitamin K deficiency can lead to bone loss and easy fractures. The best way to get enough Vitamin K into your diet is through rich foods such as:
- Green, leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, broccoli)
- Cereals & grains
- Certain fruits
- Meat
- Dairy
- Eggs
Calcium
Calcium is a mineral that strengthens and hardens your bones. It’s essential for bone health! As long as your diet is balanced, you should be able to get all the calcium you need through your diet. Some foods rich in Calcium are:
- Dairy products (yogurt, milk, cheese)
- Certain leafy green vegetables (broccoli, kale, bok choy)
- Plant-based milk
- Fruit juices
- Canned fish with edible bones (salmon, sardines)
What Are Common Symptoms of Vitamin Deficiency?
It can be easier to be deficient in vitamins and minerals than you’d expect. This kind of nutrient deficiency can impact your overall well-being, including your joint health. The best way to combat a vitamin deficiency is to eat a well-balanced diet and take high-quality vitamins for joints and other supplements. Some common symptoms of vitamin deficiency are:
- Brittle hair and nails - this is caused by a lack of biotin (Vitamin B7). Foods rich in biotin are eggs, organ meats, fish, meat, dairy, nuts, seeds, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, yeast, whole grains, and bananas.
- Mouth ulcers or cracks in the corners of your mouth - these can be the result of a deficiency in vitamins B1, B2, B6, or iron.
- Bleeding gums - this can be caused by a Vitamin C deficiency. Other signs of Vitamin C deficiency include easy bruising, slow wound healing, dry skin, and frequent nose bleeds.
- Poor night vision/white growths on the eye - this can be caused by Vitamin A deficiency.
- Hair loss - this is one of the most common symptoms of vitamin deficiency! To prevent hair loss, it’s important to have a diet full of iron, linoleic acid, niacin (vitamin B3), and biotin (vitamin B7).
Is Collagen or Glucosamine Better for Joint Health?
Collagen and Glucosamine are two of the foremost supplements/ingredients for joint health. They can both support joint health in different ways.
Collagen
Your body’s protein is made up of approximately 30% collagen—the primary building block of skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues throughout the body. There are five main types of collagen:
- Type 1 collagen makes up 90% of the collagen produced in your body. It’s used to provide structure.
- Type 2 collagen provides joint support and is found in your body’s elastic cartilage.
- Type 3 collagen is found in your muscles, arteries, and organs
- Type 4 collagen is found in your skin
- Type 5 collagen is found in your eyes, skin, hair, and, for pregnant women, the placenta.
As you age and collagen production in your body decreases and loses quality, your joints, tendons, and ligaments can suffer greatly. It’s common to experience muscle aches, less flexibility in your joints and tendons, and even joint pain or osteoarthritis. Collagen, for your joints, can increase your joint strength, tendon strength, ligament flexibility, and more. Collagen contains two amino acids: proline and glycine. Proline is ultimately used for skin healing but is also involved in cell function. In addition to helping your skin, proline can aid in joint health and healing. It plays a primary role in the production of connective tissue, so it can be beneficial for healing muscle tissues. Additionally, proline is a precursor for hydroxyproline, which helps synthesize collagen and is used to cushion your joints and repair your cartilage. This makes proline (and, therefore, collagen) effective supplements for joint health.
The other amino acid in collagen, glycine, is not just present in collagen but also in creatine, which provides your muscles with energy for things like lifting weights or sprinting. Creatine can also help increase muscle size, strength, and power. Since glycine is found in both creatine and collagen, it can help protect your body against muscle loss.
Glucosamine
Found in your body’s cartilage, glucosamine is a natural chemical compound that can also be found in supplement form (typically harvested from shells of shellfish or lab-made). Glucosamine, for joint pain, is most beneficial for osteoarthritis of the knee. Two major studies have been done to prove its effectiveness—the GAIT study and the MOVES trial. The MOVES trial, in particular, found that combining glucosamine and chondroitin is just as effective at relieving osteoarthritis of the knee as the NSAID celecoxib, just without any side effects.
Gender-Specific Joint Supplements
Much like anything in life, men and women have different needs when it comes to health and wellness. Joint health is no different!
Joint Health in Women
Osteoarthritis is more common in women and can happen at any point in life. In fact, two-thirds (⅔) of women suffering from osteoarthritis are below the age of 65. The driving force behind joint pain is almost always inflammation. Hormones are a primary cause of inflammation and joint health issues in women. In fact, the hormone issues that cause menstrual irregularities in young women can also lead to inflammation and joint health issues later in life, as well as hormone issues that cause high cortisol levels.
Best Joint Supplements for Women
As women age, their supplement needs can change. For example, adolescent girls need more Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, and Zinc. Women ages 19-50 need more iron. Those aged 51-70 need more Vitamins D and B6. And women 70+ need more Vitamin D and less Iron. (Learn more about the best joint supplements for older women.)
For female joint health in particular, Calcium, Vitamin D, and Magnesium are great supplements to add to your regimen, as each helps reduce joint pain. Magnesium aids in regulating Calcium and Vitamin D, both of which help your bone integrity, maintenance, and strength.
Best Joint Supplements for Men
Similar to women, especially for joint health, men should take high-quality supplements of magnesium and vitamin D, as well as Omega-3s.
Vitamins and Nutrients for Overall Bone and Joint Health
When it comes to improving and maintaining the quality of your joint health, there are vitamins and nutrients that can help support your overall joint health.
Eating anti-inflammatory foods is one of the best ways to provide your body with nutrients for your joints and to improve your overall joint health. Here are some foods that can help specifically with joint pain and arthritis:
- Fatty fish, like salmon, sardines, and trout. These fish are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are key to reducing inflammation. While you can get Omega-3s from your diet, you can also choose a high-quality Omega-3 supplement to help get those nutrients.
- Avocados, olives, and olive oil. These healthy fats are high in antioxidants and oleic acid, all of which are helpful in reducing inflammation.
- Turmeric/Curcumin
- Bone broth, which is high in glucosamine, chondroitin, and amino acids!
Conclusion: How Previnex Might Help with Joint Pain and Arthritis Symptoms
Maintaining healthy joints is important! Whether you live a highly active lifestyle or not, it’s imperative to keep your joints happy and healthy. Some of the key takeaways here are:
- There are a number of joint issues one can develop, with the most common being osteoarthritis.
- Omega-3s, Vitamin D, Collagen, Glucosamine, and Turmeric are some of the best supplements/ingredients/minerals/nutrients to support your joint health.
- Joint supplements DO work and can aid in strengthening, maintaining, and even healing your joint health.
- There’s a wide variety of joint supplements on the market. Do your research to ensure you’re finding a high-quality one.
- Vitamin D, Vitamin K, and Calcium are some of the best vitamins for joint health.
- Collagen is incredibly helpful in maintaining joint health (as well as that of your skin, hair, and nails).
- Eating an anti-inflammatory diet is one key way to give your joints the nutrients they need.
Investing in your health is the best investment you’ll make. Support your joints with Previnex Joint Health PLUS®. This supplement combines two ingredients clinically proven to relieve joint pain: Boswellin® and NEM®. Boswellin® is a clinically studied form of Boswellia, and NEM® (which stands for natural eggshell membrane) has gone through clinical studies where it has been shown to reduce joint pain, reduce joint stiffness, and improve joint flexibility in 7-10 days. It’s also been clinically proven to be up to 5x more effective and beneficial than glucosamine and chondroitin alone or in combination. Get yours today!
