Enhancing Joint Health With Innovative Ingredients

Mobility goes hand in hand with healthy bones and joints, and is essential for a higher quality of life. Healthy and functional joints help us perform our daily tasks by letting us move besides providing stability. Thus, the importance of joint health can’t be underestimated!

Why is Joint Health So Important?

Joint Health Facts

As the global population ages and longer life spans become a global phenomenon, especially in developed economies, maintaining a higher quality of life, too is gaining importance. Joint health, a cornerstone of this endeavor to live healthier, fitter lives, is something that cannot be underestimated - our stability and mobility depends on it.

Years of exercise and aging can take a toll on joint health and result in inflammation, stiffness and various associated medical conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis – all of which lead to restricting our movements, making them increasingly painful experiences.

How Can You Improve Joint Health?

Simple lifestyle changes to your daily routine can help you achieve enhanced joint health:

Daily Exercise [i] Consistent work-out sessions can go a long way in alleviating joint pain and preventing osteoporosis besides strengthening your bones. It will further help reduce joint inflammation over time.
Healthy food intake – Healthy diet and snacks can not only help you lose weight but also reduce joint pain caused by various medical conditions.
Supplementation – Adding the right supplement to your daily regimen can play a vital role in reducing inflammation and strengthening bones and joints.

Foods for Joint Health Nutrition

Avoiding processed and fried food, trans fats and charred meat and eating an anti-inflammatory diet can benefit your joints. Some of the foods you should include in your diet are –

Cherries – With a naturally occurring chemical – anthocyanins, cherries can help reduce inflammation. Additionally, blackberries, blueberries and pomegranates can also offer similar benefits.
Red peppers – Similar to other citrus fruits, pineapple and tomatoes, vitamin C in red peppers helps our body make collagen that cushions our joints and hold them together.
Salmon – Loaded with calcium, vitamin-D and Omega-3s, it helps strengthen our bones and keeps inflammation at bay.
Oatmeal – It is linked to a reduced level of inflammation and can offer additional benefits when eaten with fruits, nuts and yogurt.
Turmeric – Curcumin in turmeric helps relieve pains and aches.
Walnuts – Omega-3 and nutrients in walnuts counter inflammation.
Kale – Kale and other leafy greens are rich in nutrients, antioxidants and calcium.

Ideally, you’d think that a diet of good healthy and fresh food should be enough to keep your joints and bones healthy and moving well. But [ii], more and more, typical nutrient-poor American diets with processed sugars aren’t able to fulfill the nutrient needs of the aging population. Further, a slowing metabolism and a decreased ability to absorb nutrients leads to increased instances of inflammation and chronic distress – that’s where supplements can step in to plug the dietary nutrient gaps among seniors.

Top Ingredients in the Joint Health Supplements World

Facts About Joint Health Supplement Ingredients Supplements, vital for maintaining healthy joints, can also help prevent onset of troublesome joint issues.

New research on joint health shows that apart from seasoned players such as glucosamine, chondroitin and vitamin D, some known sources like herbals and beetroot, vegetarian alternatives of glucosamine and chondroitin, botanicals, MSM and herbs, offer similar benefits as that of their traditional joint care supplement counterparts without any animal-source concerns such as shellfish allergies.

There is a range of ingredients that claim the bone and joint health nutrition benefits.

Glucosamine [iii]
It is a vital component of synovial fluid that acts as a lubricant for our joints and protects them. It also slows down cartilage degeneration by generating new cartilage and repairs connective tissue.

Chondroitin [iii]
Another major component of synovial fluid, chondroitin acts as a shock absorber for the joints and is shown to reduce friction.

Krill Oil [iv]
Armed with Omega-3 fatty acids and astaxanthin, krill oil supports cardiovascular and joint health. Its Omega-3 fatty acids are known to limit the inflammation. It also contains phospholipids that make it an easily absorbed form of Omega-3 fatty acid.

Curcumin [v]
Present in turmeric, curcumin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It has been traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicines for healthy joints and joint-pain relief.

MethylSulfonylMethane (MSM) [vi]
MSM is a naturally occurring Sulphur compound that alleviates joint inflammation and supports joint health. Studies show that it helps relieve pain and swelling associated with mild osteoarthritis. Further, trials reveal that combining it with other ingredients such as collagen, curcumin, chondroitin sulfate, boswellic acid and others, enhances its functionality in joint-related disorders.

Hops [vii]
Mostly used for making beer, hops (Humulus Iupulus) flowers also have pain-relieving alpha acids. Human clinical trials have revealed that Perluxan hops has shown to be as effective a COX-2 inhibitor as ibuprofen, though more research is needed to determine its lowest dose.

Chebulic Myrobalan [viii]
Known as the ‘King of Medicine’, chebulic myrobalan (Terminalia Chebula) is an Ayurvedic plant which is known for its fruit’s healing properties throughout South Asia. Studies suggest that chebulic supplementation is associated with clinical improvements in stiffness and WOMAC scores besides the decreased need for painkillers.

Horsetail [ix]
According to some studies, horsetail (Equisetum Arvense) may be useful for supplying nutrition for bone and joint health. It is believed to be a bioavailable source of silicon, which plays an important role in connective tissues like bone and cartilage.

Vitamins for Joint Health [x]
Calcium is vital for building dense and strong bones and joints, while Vitamin D is necessary for protecting joints and bones and calcium absorption.

Boswellia Serrata [xi]
Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) present in Boswellia Serrata is a potent inhibitor of 5-lipoxygenase – an enzyme responsible for pain and inflammation.

Kaempferia Galangal (Ginger Extract) [xii]
It is known to possess anti-inflammatory properties that offer effective relief from chronic pain.

Piper Nigrum Oil (Black Pepper) [xiii]
Piperin is the key extract in black pepper. Beta-Caryophyllene in piperin binds to the receptors that help prevent inflammation.

Collagen [xiv]
Collagen accounts for about 30% of the body’s total protein content. Protein supplementation in the form of collagen peptide offers nutrition for joint health and helps us stay mobile and flexible. Several studies reveal that collagen supplementation reduces collagen damage in the body, a remedy for joint damage and pain and for increasing bone density.

Hyaluronic Acid [xv]
One of the constituents of joints, researchers reported that hyaluronic acid supplementation significantly improved mobility by reducing pain.

Joint Health Supplement Formulation Considerations

Joint Health Product Considerations The market has joint health products available in various forms including powders, liquids, capsules and more. Amongst these, capsules are the most preferred application form among consumers – they are easy to consume and can contain a broad range of ingredients like powders, semi-solids and liquids.

Here’s a formulation considerations checklist that can help determine the success of your product –

Is the product suitable for vegetarians and vegans?
Is it easy to swallow?
What is the potency and absorption?
Is it free from allergens?
Is there equivalence of serving sizes amongst different forms?
What is the duration required to experience effectiveness?

Today’s consumers are increasingly aware of the supplement ingredients and their benefits and demand products backed by substantial scientific evidence. Moreover, they are on the lookout for supplements that offer multiple benefits. To make the most of this opportunity while bringing value to the consumers, brand owners need to work with their manufacturer and adopt innovative dosage forms for effective delivery of multiple ingredients, delayed release and enhanced bio-availability.

Catering to one of the primary concerns of the longer-living global citizens’ – joint health and preventive joint health care for enhanced mobility - new research and studies are bringing up many potential joint health alternatives. The aging baby boomers are growing in numbers and so are the age-related lifestyle health issues – propelling the bone and joint health supplement market towards a 6.6% growth just between 2019 and 2024. Posing challenges and paving the way for today’s supplement brand owners, these are opportunities (that can’t be missed) for creating innovative joint care formulations with fast, long-lasting and multiple benefits [xvi].

Want More Information On Joint Health Supplements?

For more information on the innovative ingredients you should consider adding to your bone and joint support dietary supplement, read our latest article published in Natural Products Insider.

Do you have a question or are you ready to take the first step towards developing a customized dietary supplement? NutraScience Labs can help! With over 120 years of nutraceutical industry experience, we've contract manufactured high-quality capsules, powders, and tablets for over 2,300 brands located around the globe! We also offer award-winning packaging & labeling services and convenient order fulfillment services.

Call 855-492-7388 to speak with one of our friendly representatives or send us your request to receive a free manufacturing price quote in 48 business hours.

References:

[i] https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/exercise-an-effective-prescription-for-joint-pain

[ii] https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/should-you-get-your-nutrients-from-food-or-from-supplements

[iii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150191/

[iv] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2907316/

[v] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5036591/

[vi] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5372953/

[vii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4712866/

[viii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3792193/

[ix] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5295114/

[x] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579593/

[xi] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6036794/