As we age, it’s natural to get a little achy in our joints. It’s almost inevitable that we will deal with this problem at some point in time. Thankfully, nature has provided us three ways to support our joint health supplementally. Plus there are lifestyle habits we can add to our routines to boost joint health quickly. Ready to see how to improve joint health naturally? Let’s dig in.
A Well Rounded Approach to Improve Joint Health Naturally
There are several ways to approach the joint health conversation. We’re going to look at structural support, herbal support, and enzyme support.
Structural
When it comes to the structure of our joints, we want to maintain the strength of our ligaments, tendons and cartilage as best we can. As you’ve probably heard, collagen builds joint strength. For more targeted joint support, clinical studies show Type II collagen, taken at 40mg, supports comfortable joint movement.
In addition, Vitamin C intake helps your body make its own collagen. That means sufficient vitamin C to allows your body to create optimal levels of collagen for itself.
Herbal
Next, we move on to herbs known for their role in joint health.
Boswellia (Boswellia serrata) is one of the oldest herbs used in the Ayurvedic tradition, known for anti-inflammatory properties. The plant produces the gum resin commonly known as frankincense, which has been used traditionally for thousands of years.
Similarly, turmeric supports a healthy response to inflammation. And inflammation is known to cause the majority of joint discomfort.
Other herbs well known for their role in joint health include ginger, white willow bark, black pepper, and bromelain.
Enzyme
Finally, is the enzyme approach to joint health. This one may be odd to you. We typically think of enzymes as an aid to digestion, not joint health. But enzymes are essential to every function in our bodies.
5-Loxin Advanced®— an ingredient named for the 5-LOX enzyme—is an extract of Boswellia serrata.
It contains at least 20% of AKBA. The plant’s actives consist of a variety of boswellic acids that are primarily believed to be responsible for its benefits. Of the six main types of boswellic acids found in Boswellia, the most potent is 3-0-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA). AKBA is believed to help target multiple pathways that are related to joint health.* 5-Lipoxygenase (5-LOX) is among the joint-related enzymes that can increase as a result of poor diet and lifestyle or the normal aging process.1-5 5-LOX is involved in the pathway of arachidonic acid, which can lead to production of chemicals called leukotrienes that may affect joints negatively.
The ingredient is clinically shown to support joint health in as few as 7 days and further when taken over the long-term.
Based on two human studies evaluating 5-Loxin Advanced® where subjects rated their joint health over time, the ingredient produced the following results:
- Helped improve joint comfort in 7 days*
- Helped increase flexibility and mobility*
- Showed continued joint health and improvement throughout the duration of the studies*
A Product That Has It All
Our friends at Solgar created a comprehensive joint care formula that embodies all of the three components of joint care we discussed above.
Each vegetarian capsule of Solgar® No.7 contains 100mg of 5-Loxin Advanced® as well as Type II collagen, vitamin c, turmeric and other joint health promoting herbs. This formulation contains additional ingredients that combine cutting-edge science with traditionally used herbs for a comprehensive joint support formula.*
So, how often do you need to take this supplement? Just once a day. Most joint health supplements require 2-4 capsules per day.
Lifestyle Habits to Support Joint Health
Aside from use of supplementation, making healthy dietary choices can also help in supporting joint health. For example, the intake of some polyphenols found in fruits and vegetables are shown to attenuate 5-LOX enzymatic activity. On the other hand, a diet high in saturated or trans fats may lead to higher 5-LOX levels that could lead to poor long-term health. For the best diet and lifestyle approach for general wellbeing, including joint health, consider the following steps:
- Consume a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.
- Consume at least two servings of fatty fish per week, or take fish oil supplements providing EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids.
- Limit intake of processed foods, processed meats, and other foods high in saturated fat or trans fat.
- Participate in moderate intensity, low-impact large-muscle aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes, five days per week.
- Be sure to achieve the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
Want To Learn More?
As always, if you want to take your health to the next level and want access to our team of wellness experts to help you along the way, you can schedule an appointment here.
