10 Nutrients That Support Healthy Joint Function
What are the nutrients you know of that help to support joint health? Did you know that supporting immune system function can also be beneficial for supporting joint health?
Our joints are responsible for connecting bones and providing us with mobility functions. If our joints aren’t working properly as a result of degeneration, there are many things that we won’t be able to do properly as we age. Joint degeneration flows through our immune system. The joints end up degenerating because the rate of new collagen cartilage production is much slower than the rate of joint degradation by our immune system - a more detailed mechanism is provided at Elucidating A Major Root Cause Of The Issue Behind Joint Pain (paid subscription access only).
So, here are 10 nutrients that help to support healthy joint function. Do bear in mind that this list is not exhaustive, and neither does it guarantee that one will have zero chance of getting osteoarthritis or fully recover from rheumatoid arthritis. The rate of joint degeneration can be reduced, but it may not help in accelerating the rate of joint rebuilding.
There are at least 4 nutrients that support the function of the nuclear respiratory factor 2 (nrf2) pathway in the body, which stimulates the cells in our body to produce glutathione from within the cell. Glutathione acts as an antioxidant to protect the body from oxidative stress. Nutrients in this list include resveratrol, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and quercetin.
Omega-3 fatty acids, namely eicospentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) aid in reducing the activity of the pro-inflammatory nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. NF-κB is the major pathway that regulates the intensity of the inflammation signal in the body. The nrf2 pathway helps to balance out any overshoot that is coming from NF-κB, and these two pathways are in a constant tug-of-war battle for maintaining the inflammatory signal at an appropriate level.
Proanthocyanidins are important as scavengers of reactive oxygen species. They help to protect the body from oxidative stress as well, which would otherwise contribute to chronically elevated inflammatory signals.
Glucosamine is an aminosugar that helps in the retention of synovial fluid within the joint cartilage. This provides extra support for the cartilage, such that it can protect the joint from mechanical impacts and stresses.
Vitamin C is a crucial ingredient for supporting the biosynthesis of collagen within the body, and collagen is a major structural ingredient for joint support.
Our bones comprise mainly magnesium and calcium. The joints connect bones together to help them move. Hence, it is also necessary to maintain a good bone health, such that the bones can fit comfortably into the joint space, and the joint can aid in the mobility of the bones properly.
It’s not rocket science; it’s a holistic health management situation that we’re looking at here. Most of these nutrients are similar to what supports the function of a healthy heart, which I do highlight at 10 Nutrients That Support A Healthy Heart.
Supplementation might be a useful tool to use as a cheat code to provide nutritional support; however, one does have to know the criteria for choosing a good brand, which I outline in this article: Dietary Supplements- How Does One Choose A Good Brand for Consumption?
Here’s a list of supplements from the brand that I prefer and personally do use myself to support joint health, which I do know meets the criteria set out in the article that I have mentioned.
Disclaimer: The list of products is an affiliate link and I do earn commissions from any purchases made via those links.
How are you supporting a healthy joint function in your body today?