John Arts Abundant Living www.johnarts.co.nz

Most people will experience Osteoarthritis in their lifetime. It was referred to as ‘wear and tear arthritis' or similar which gave the impression that over time cartilage ‘wears out' like slowly rubbing sandpaper on wood. The cause of cartilage loss is complex and is much more than cartilage wearing away.

Cartilage is lost when specialised cells that live in cartilage called chondrocytes are damaged. This damage can come from trauma, or by a slow process of free radical damage to chondrocytes. As chondrocytes die, they cannot maintain cartilage which slowly disintegrates. This can be accelerated by certain enzymes (MMPs) which can be triggered by trauma.

The key to maintaining healthy cartilage is Chondroitin Sulfate. This is secreted by chondrocytes as they repair cartilage. Adding therapeutic levels of CS can help protect chondrocytes and further help to restore damaged cartilage. Maintaining good levels of CS is critical for joint health as it helps to maintain both the strength (resistance) and flexibility.

Adding supplemental CS is, in my opinion, the single most effective method of preserving and maintaining cartilage health – even if the joint is showing signs of OA. This is supported by several international organisations and, more importantly, the European Medicine Agency has approved CS as a prescribed medicine in Europe.

My preference is for CS from avian (chicken) sources as its smaller molecular size allows for rapid accumulation within the joint capsule. While my standard long-term recommendation is 800mg daily, I usually commence therapy with 1600mg and review every six weeks. For best results look for supplements that combine CS with similar levels of glucosamine and a potent curcumin extract from turmeric, to help reduce joint capsule inflammation. For more information, give me a call or email: john@abundant.co.nz Read my newsletter at: www.abundant.co.nz

John Arts is a qualified nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health. Contact John on 0800 423 559. To read more go to www.sunlive.co.nz