Is Glucosamine Really The Arthritis Cure?
New
research shows how glucosamine can be made ten times as effective
By J. R. Rogers, J.D.
Dear Friend,
If you are among
the millions who suffer from osteoarthritis I do not have to tell you
about pain. Nagging, persistent and at times unbearable, pain is a way
of life for you. For most of you, the search for relief from this grinding
pain is a chore in and of itself.
My name is J.R.
Rogers and this is the story of how I beat one of the most dramatic
pain problems imaginable. You see, in 1993 I sustained a very serious
traumatic injury to my spine. So bad in fact, my upper spine was crushing
the cord and I could not even walk in a straight line. The spinal fluid
was not getting though the cord and my vertebrae were deteriorating
rapidly. Now, using what I have learned I have been able to help thousands
of people fully end or significantly reduce their pain problems.
While exact numbers
differ widely, according to Newsweek, there are 22 million with Osteoarthritis
in the US. Whether your pain is in your knees, neck, hands, shoulders
or any other joint, there have been some important advances made in
treating these conditions. I'm going to discuss these advances with
you and explain in detail how this information can help you take control
of your osteoarthritis.
What
the medical community has to say
Osteoarthritis (OA)
is the most common type of arthritis and its typical targets are your
hands, hips, knees, feet and spine. Sometimes, it will attack your knuckles,
wrists, elbows and shoulders. I should mention that these are not the
only areas of your body subject to attack however. There are 143 joints
in the human body and any of them may be subject to osteoarthritis.
When OA attacks it causes a degeneration of the cartilage and fluids
that protect against inflammation.
For those of you
who live with this debilitating disease, you are all too familiar with
what the doctors have to say. Some will tell you to take one of those
"over-the-counter" remedies. You know…products like Aspirin,
Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen. (Called NSAIDS) In fact, some $8 Billion
dollars a year is spent on these kinds of products in this country every
year. Unfortunately, when it comes to using them to fight the pain of
osteoarthritis, they can do you more harm than good.
Although you will
obtain some temporary pain relief using them, there is also evidence
that indicates that they will also cause a progression of osteoarthritis.
Not only do they not stop joint degeneration, they are also associated
with stomach ulcers and liver damage.
In the more serious
cases of OA, doctors will take more extreme steps by ordering dangerous
steroid injections or prescribing COX-2 inhibitors. While you might
get some temporary pain relief, you are clearly more prone to dangerous
side effects and they will do nothing to help you with the core of the
problem. After all, what you are really seeking is two-fold. First and
foremost, you want your pain to end. Secondly, you want to address the
medical problem itself and end (or reverse) the progression of your
OA.
The
big announcement that set America on its ear
There is a compound
that has no side effects that has been known by many for years to effectively
reduce pain and slow the progression of osteoarthritis. Only recently,
however, has this information been scientifically verified. You may
have already heard of this compound. It is called glucosamine.
On January 21, 2001
MSNBC reported on the findings published in The Lancet medical journal
regarding the use of glucosamine in treating osteoarthritis. Countless
television commentaries and newspaper stories were soon to follow with
the expected result. Everyone began searching for the "perfect"
glucosamine product and there was no shortage of choices. (Just because
I was aware of the European research certainly didn't mean the rest
of the country was.)
Glucosamine is an
over-the-counter dietary supplement that has gained a lot of attention
from this recent coverage. It is completely safe, as it is a natural,
non-toxic compound, and mounting evidence suggests it may improve symptoms
for those who suffer from osteoarthritis.
Suddenly, every
company in America 'hit the market' with a glucosamine product that
(they) claimed was the solution you had been looking for. After all,
it's the American Way. If a product is in demand, everyone wants to
get on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, most of you were quick to learn
that there was no "magic bullet." For most, you experienced
exactly what I had already been through. These glucosamine products
didn't fully diminish your pain or in some cases did not work at all.
(Does this sound at all familiar?)
Unfortunately, with
store shelves and mail-order catalogs crammed with choices the task
of finding a product that works has only become more difficult. Television
commercials flood your living room every day with glucosamine ads. Direct
mail pieces arrive in your mailbox bearing some celebrity's face and
they are insisting the product they are endorsing is the one you are
looking for.
The
Science
That article in
The Lancet medical journal came about as a result of studies conducted
in Lourdes, Belgium. At last, the American public as well as the medical
community was aware of objective evidence that glucosamine indeed worked
as a treatment for osteoarthritis. Incredible news for the medical community
since after all, glucosamine is a nutritional supplement. But that's
not all. This study had even more to say:
"Previous
studies had indicated that glucosamine could dull the pain of
Arthritis, but experts say the latest study shows for the first time
that
it could improve the structure of the joints."
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS-London
"Improve the
structure of the joints." Now that is very important language.
This study not only concluded that pain could be managed, but as well
the damage from osteoarthritis could be reversed. Incredible claims.
But are they real?
Let's
go back to my story
In 1996, the doctors
finally got around to operating on my spine. What they had to do is
remove leg bone to rebuild my upper spine. (Think about a stiff rod
or piece of wood inside your back.) I was left with constant pain; had
limited mobility in my neck; and was left to rely on narcotic painkillers
just to get by. If you are suffering from osteoarthritis pain, I can
empathize as I have walked in your shoes.
Fortunately, I'm
not a "quitter." I was determined to learn everything I could
about osteoarthritis, joint pain and any possible means to restore my
body to its formerly healthy state. (Of course, I did not have a clue
how I was going to do this.) One thing I did know. The doctors had made
it clear to me that my condition would only get worse, even though they
had operated in time to keep me out of a wheelchair. I knew then that
if I were going to have any chance at all, it would be up to me to find
the way.
A
doctor with vision
Fortunately, the
pain management specialist who was treating me was from Europe and unlike
most doctors, was willing to listen. When I approached him with what
I was learning about glucosamine, (it was now 1997) he didn't "shrug
it off." Instead, he was impressed with the information I was finding
and encouraged me to "give it a try."
What
exactly does the compound do
(This may be a little
technical so just do your best to try to gain a little understanding
here.)
Glucosamine is a
"chondroprotective agent", which relieves the symptoms of
OA without any side effects while at the same time slowing the progression
of the disease. And what is a "chondroprotective agent?"
Glucosamine (and
chondroitin) is produced naturally within your body. However, it is
not produced in sufficient quantities once you have developed osteoarthritis.
That is the reason that we must rely on "synthetic" products
to replenish our systems.
What has happened
to your body when you have osteoarthritis is that the cartilage (that
acts as a "cushion" between bones) has deteriorated. Healthy
(articular) cartilage is what we need to make movement and motion of
our joints pain free. In other words, it allows bones to move across
one another providing an ultra-smooth, slippery surface to do so.
The
Choices
Most of the products
I was able to buy back then were in either pill or capsule form. Believe
me, I was trying just about every one I could afford. Unfortunately,
I didn't seem to be making any real progress. My pain hadn't changed
and of course, I had no way of knowing what changes if any were going
on inside of my body.
If the research
was correct, glucosamine should have been taking care of my pain and
reversing my osteoarthritis damage. You could not have proved it by
using me as an example. It was now late in 1998 and I didn't seem to
be getting anywhere. I had to ask myself some tough questions.
Was all that research
a waste of time? Or, was my case just so bad that glucosamine was just
not going to help? Somehow, I convinced myself that I was on the right
track but there was something missing from the equation.
Why
Your Previous Glucosamine Products May Not Have Been Fully Effective
(or work at all)
New outside research, confirmed by what I have witnessed myself, has
shown that glucosamine in a different form can double the benefits received
and dramatically reduce the time it takes for results to be noticed.
This new form is a liquid glucosamine. Liquid glucosamine offers quite
a few benefits over powdered pills. Here's a comparison:
|
|
Topical
Analgesics
|
Pills/Capsules/Powder
|
Liquid
Glucosamine
|
|
Apply
Topical Cream
|
X
|
|
|
|
Swallow
Pill
|
|
X
|
|
|
Ingest
Liquid
|
|
|
X
|
|
Quickest
Absorption
|
|
|
X
|
|
Greatest
Absorption
|
|
|
X
|
|
Fastest
Pain Relief
|
|
|
X
|
|
Lasting
Pain Relief
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
Longest
Lasting Pain Relief
|
|
|
X
|
Based on my personal
experience, I can verify that these differences are real. High impact,
fast-acting pain relief, and solid, long-lasting effect. If you are
currently taking glucosamine in any form other than liquid you are losing
out on half of its effect. Later on, I recommend a liquid glucosamine
product that gave me great results so keep reading!
How do you know what's best?
With all of the
hype surrounding glucosamine, almost every major pharmaceutical company
and vitamin manufacturer (among others) has come out with a product.
This rush to market is not something that is in your best interests.
There are far too many products out there that seem to have appeared
only with profits in mind. In a perfect world, companies should be more
interested in producing products that are formulates to help you end
your suffering.
It is a fair bet
to say that you have already been disappointed about glucosamine products
you have tried. After all, if glucosamine is the answer then you were
expecting your pain to end immediately.
I too had tried
the pills and capsules and was disappointed. Too much "filler"
and not enough real components to do any good. At one point, I also
got around to trying some of those products you apply externally where
you experience pain. Maybe a little pain relief but it was very short-lived.
Eventually, I even tried some of those products that you apply externally
to your body. You know, those creams and 'roll-on' products. It was
clear right away that they weren't the solution I was looking for either.
And then I got lucky.
The
phone call that changed my life
In late 1999 a friend
of mine called to tell me about a liquid glucosamine that he was using
to treat his thoroughbred horses. In fact, he had several other friends
who were also horse owners and they were using the product as well.
But here's where the story got really interesting.
He said that the
owners were giving two ounces of the product to their horses every day
and then "taking a swig" themselves. That really got my attention
since we were talking about a glucosamine product in liquid form. "Do
you mean to tell me that the owners are treating their arthritis with
this product?" He laughed and replied, "You bet they are and
they all feel terrific. No joint pain at all." Of course, my heart
skipped a beat. I asked him to send me a "jug" of the product.
To make a long story
short, this stuff was incredible. Within ten days, I could move my neck
just as if it had never been injured and equally important, I had no
pain. I knew that I had found a glucosamine solution that belonged in
the hands of everyone who suffered from osteoarthritis. All I had to
do was consider some changes in the formula itself.
The
makeup of articular cartilage
Most of the cartilage
we are discussing contains between 65% and 80% water. The remainder
is comprised of collagen and proteoglycans. The collagen portion of
cartilage is what gives it elastic-like properties and provides the
"shock absorber" qualities that you need for pain-free movement.
Of equal importance, the collagen is what holds proteoglycans in place.
Now, let's try to make some sense out of this.
Proteoglycans are
nothing more than molecules composed of sugar and proteins. What they
do inside your cartilage matrix is "wrap" themselves in and
around the collagen fibers. So what happens then? The proteoglycans
add stretching capability and they act to capture water. Remember, we
already said that 65% to 80% of your cartilage is made up of water.
It is this squeezing "in and out" activity as your joints
are in motion that is facilitated by these proteoglycans. And there
is just one final ingredient we need to add to the mix.
The principal producer
of both collagen and proteoglycans are chondrocytes. So long as everything
is working correctly, you are going to have healthy and vibrant articular
cartilage. There is however one down side here. Chondrocytes also produce
enzymes that act to "destroy" the older, worn out collagen
and proteoglycans. Unfortunately, one negative effect can be the overproduction
of enzymes that are destroying collagen and proteoglycans. Another way
of putting it is that your body is "working against itself."
When
things go wrong
Once this essential
part of normal joint functioning goes bad, it's a straight downhill
run. Of course, that's why you are reading this material right now.
You're in pain and you are looking for answers. That pain that's driving
you crazy is caused by cartilage that is developing ragged edges and
bone that is overgrown. It is "pockmarked" and abrasive. As
the problem increases, the lining of your joints is becoming inflamed.
(The synovium)
The synovium is
the area where nerves and nerve endings are bundled. The inescapable
fact is that it's going to send out pain messages. As part of your body's
defense mechanism, the synovium is fighting to produce more synovial
fluid. It is this fluid that provides your cartilage with its "slippery"
qualities. Unfortunately, your synovium goes into "overdrive"
and the result is that too much fluid is produced. In turn, this builds
up in the joint space and when this happens, things are getting out
of control.
But
Did The Glucosamine Work For Me?
I began taking a
daily regiment of glucosamine, hoping it would help my pain. Within
about three weeks my pain had been reduced and limited mobility was
restored to my neck. I was ecstatic and wanted to see if this could
help others like it helped me.
I contacted a woman
I had recently met who had been complaining about how badly osteoarthritis
was interfering with her life. She was in pretty tough shape. I sent
her a "sample" of this product to try. These are her words…directly
quoted:
"Less than
three days after taking this product the severe pain in my
knees was gone. I'm now able to walk at the mall, go up and down
ladders and after playing with my grandchildren, I am able to get
up
from the floor without any help. I no longer have to live in pain."
That's all I needed
to hear. If she was getting relief this fast with her situation (which
was bad) then this product was everything I believed it to be. All I
needed to do was to experiment with a few more ingredients and have
more people try it as I continued to make improvements. That's exactly
what I did.
The
Magic of Adding Complementing Ingredients
My "education"
in the use of glucosamine had never stopped. In fact, to this day I
still spend whatever time I have exploring new avenues. All I knew at
this point was that I had a fantastic product that was working quickly
to end pain. The remaining question was what more I might be able to
do to improve on that success.
I may not have mentioned
this before so this is an appropriate time to do so. The original formula
for this product used only pharmaceutical-grade glucosamine. Not just
one type of glucosamine but two. Glucosamine Sulfate and Glucosamine
Hydrochloride. It also contained Chondroitin Sulfate. (Found in the
Shark Cartilage) That Shark Cartilage acts to "drive" the
glucosamine as well.
In addition to those
ingredients, the newly formulated product now had some other changes
to give it even greater strength. Bromelaine was added because of its
ability to clean away "debris" in the joints and because it
aids in restoring proper fluid balance. It also helps to inhibit inflammatory
compounds to reduce pain and swelling. Ascorbate (Manganese and ascorbic
acid) was added to assist your body's ability to process the glucosamine.
(A very important factor and one that is missing in nearly every glucosamine
product on the market today.)
Yucca was added
because of its long history in treating arthritis and rheumatism. (The
root is rich in sponins that elevate your body's ability to produce
cortisone naturally. The Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic
acid) and DHA (docasahexaenoic acid) are constituents of fish oils that
act as anti-inflammatory agents. (Usually, these products are sold separately
in health food stores as salmon oil or under other names.)
Each of the vitamins
here also plays an important role in regaining healthy joints. Vitamin
A (Beta carotene) is essential for growth and repair of body tissues
and it aids in bone formation. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) produces a
mobilization of your body's self-defense mechanisms, which assists your
immune system to overcome pathological consequences. And finally, Vitamin
E (Tocopheral) is an antioxidant, which acts to protect red blood cells
and unsaturated fatty acids from oxidation damage. It also assists your
body in maintaining healthy membrane tissue.
What
A Relief!
As I discovered
benefits of each of these ingredients, I created for myself a daily
regimen of taking each one. While it cost me over $65 a month to purchase
these separate, it was worth it. Within a few weeks I full mobility
had returned to my neck. Once again, I wanted to see if the same results
we experienced by others.
You have a right
to be skeptical because I certainly was for a very long time. But it
was time to really put my new product to a broader test to see if everyone
was getting the results that I had seen up to that point.
Did
it work?
The second person
I gave some to was my old friend Lou. After just a week he told me he
was able to dance for the first time in years. In total, I had given
samples to eight other people so I was anxious to hear what they had
to say as well.
Lou, Howard, Joan,
Ken, Tina, Julia, Joyce, Iris, and Kathy. Without exception they all
told me that the product had either ended their pain completely or dramatically
reduced it. They were astounded. You can imagine how great I felt.
So
What Have I Learned?
Through
the course of my journey to rid my body of my arthritic pain I have
learned much. I have tried everything and very little has worked. Glucosamine
did work however. But only to an extent. It took a couple more years
of testing to really find something that would fully end my pain and
stop the progression of osteoarthritis. In order to achieve full results
with glucosamine here's a review of what you need to know.
- Liquid
glucosamine is more effective than powdered glucosamine
- Supplements
which use high quality, pharmaceutical grade liquid glucosamine are
the most effective.
- When glucosamine
is combined with other beneficial ingredients these often work synergistically
to provide fast-acting and complete pain relief and in many cases
halt the progression of osteoarthritis
My
Recommendations
To
date, I am aware of only one product that combines all the latest knowledge
into one product. The product is formulated using pharmaceutical grade
liquid glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride and all of
the complimenting ingredients I have mentioned before. Chondroitin sulfate,
shark cartilage, boswellin, bromelaine, omega 3 and 6, vitamins A, C,
and E, and yucca powder are included.
I
highly recommend this product and use it myself. The name of it is Syn-Flex.
Click here to learn more about Syn-flex
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