Chondroitin Sulfate: How joints c/et well

We feed our dogs bones because we want these loyal fami y members to have strong bones. The same logic tells us that I we want to rebuild our cartilage, as we must if osteoarthritis is taking its toll, then perhaps we should feed ourselves cartilage.

Well, for decades scientists in the know have been demonstrating the effectiveness of the principal unique constituent of cartilage, chondroitin sulfate. Although not a single chemical entity, but rather a class of related substances, chondroitin has a surprisingly wide range of activities. Its activity comes from its content of a group of complex sugar molecules called glycosaminoglycans, which can offer anti-inflammmatory effects and activity against heart disease as a bonus to their ability to help us re-jform cartilage.

Though found primarily in bones, cartilage and connective tissue chondroitin sulfate extends its curative influence throughout the body by easing pain, helping wounds to heal and improving cardiovascular health.

The Other ‘Arthritis Cure’

Osteoarthritic aches diminished for a group of two hundred people who participated in one chondroitin sulfate study. The anti-inflammatory effect also allowed them to bend their knees, elbows and other joints more freely and with none of the complications of standard arthritis medications. People with gout may also enjoy some pain relief, because supplements reduce high uric acid levels.

Chondroitin’s Other Virtues

In the cardiovascular system, chondroitin sulfate works on several levels.

• It stimulates fat metabolism, lowers cholesterol, reduces blood clotting, inhibits plaque accumulation and improves circulation.
• Surgical incisions heal faster when they’re coated with a chondroitin sulfate concentrate.
• Normal cells may become cancerous more readily, animal research suggests, in the face of a chondroitin sulfate deficiency, while other lab experiments hint at some direct action against HIV.

Supplement Suggestions

For arthritis or blood lipid imbalances, take between 250 mg and 1 gram of chondroitin sulfate a day. When given in conjunction with glucosamine sulfate for osteoarthritis, as is now done on a wide scale, its dose in milligrams is usually 60-80 per cent that of the glucosamine. Doctors have administered dosages as high as 10 grams daily for six years without noting side effects, so this substance is unquestionably safe. Although its glycos- aminoglycans are complex sugar molecules, it doesn’t work like sugar and won’t create a problem for anyone with diabetes or a related insulin disorder. If you can’t find a product plainly labeled ‘chondroitin sulfate’, get bovine or any form of cartilage. It’s another good source.