Have you ever heard about “the natural remedy for stiffness”? Of course we are talking about glucosamine! This is a natural substance placed around our joints which has a fundamental role in the process of formation and repair of cartilage, covering and protecting it from rubbing against each other, cushioning the impacts, as well as promoting mobility and flexibility.
And because every good hero has an awesome mate, we can’t forget about chondroitin, a protein which is also part of joint cartilage and together with glucosamine makes a potent duo to avoid and improve rigidity.
The bad news is that we can’t obtain these substances from our diet, that’s why it’s necessary to use a supplement, which is made with shell extracts of crustaceans such as lobsters, shrimps, crabs (to extract glucosamine) and with the trachea of the cattle and also the shark cartilage (to obtain chondroitin).
Both glucosamine and chondroitin have been used since 1980 in Europe to treat osteoarthritis in human and have been proven in so many studies, which has demonstrated good results. One of the lasts studies done about these supplements took place in 2015, where it was compared the effectiveness and safety of glucosamine and chondroitin with Celecoxib (Celebrex®). The supplement was found to be comparable in efficacy to the drug in reducing pain, stiffness, functional limitations and joint inflammation after prolonged use for six months.
However, maybe you don’t have to be a sports supplementation guru to have heard about glucosamine and chondroitin before, but when it comes to New Zealand green-lipped mussel, it could be something new to you. The Perna canalicul‘s (scientific name) extract, has been shown to be helpful in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), reducing joint tenderness and improving pain. Some specialists also say it could be useful in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
So, if you want to run and exercise for years, take care of your joint’s health and consider taking a dietary supplement. As you may know, these are not strictly regulated, that’s why their quality and content may vary widely. So, we recommend you to choose one manufactured by a big and respectable brand, such as Rosebrook Goodbye Stiffness , read the label carefully and of course, to ask your doctor and pharmacist for a good recommendation.