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Benefits
Features
The skeleton, made up
of all the body’s bones, provides strength, stability, and
a frame for muscles to work within to produce movement.
Bones come together to form joints, most of which are in
constant motion. The ends of bones are covered with
cartilage, a smooth, tough, protective tissue that acts as a
shock absorber and reduces friction. The skin acts as a
protective barrier to the outside world. Skin also helps to
regulate body temperature, senses painful and pleasant
stimuli, and shields us from the sun’s harmful effects.
Today, we are seeing
increasing incidences of problems with the musculoskeletal
system. We can help ourselves maintain our "body
frame" health through nutrition and supplements. One of
the most powerful musculoskeletal supplements is
glucosamine.
Glusosamine is an
aminosugar. It is made in the body from the simple
carbohydrate glucose (sugar) and the amino acid glutamine.
Although our bodies generally use glucose to produce energy,
the aminosugars found in glucosamine are incorporated into
the structure of body tissue. Glusocamine is involved in the
formation of cartilage, nails, tendons, skin, eyes, bones,
ligaments, and heart valves. It also plays a role in the
mucous secretions of the digestive, respiratory, and urinary
tracts. Of particular interest is its role in cartilage.
Cartilage is
connective tissue at the ends of bones (where it is known as
articular cartilage). It separates bones so that they do not
grind together, causing stiffness and pain. Cartilage also
serves as a shock absorber. Briefly put, cartilage protects
our bones from the wear and tear of movement.
One way to think of
cartilage is as a super sponge. It soaks up water (more
accurately, synovial fluid) when a joint is at rest, and
squeezes out the water when a joint moves. As the joint
rests again, it again soaks up water. This spongelike effect
of cartilage makes it a shock absorber, buffering our bones
and body from the wear and tear of making thousands of
movements per day. Cartilage is also slippery—five to
eight times more slippery than ice. Thus, when two bones do
meet, the cartilage at the ends of each bone allows them to
slide off each other, adding to the buffering effect.
Cartilage is made up
of three main components: Water (70 to 80 percent), collagen
(10 to 15 percent), and proteoglycans (10 to 15 percent).
Combined, these are called the cartilage matrix. The
cartilage matrix is where new cartilage is born.
As we have seen, water
provides cartilage with buffering qualities, and also helps
shape the "cartilage" sponge. It also feeds the
cartilage. Cartilage contains no blood vessels, so the
soaking up and squeezing out of water is what provides
cartilage with nutrients.
Collagen also plays a
role in giving cartilage its shape and resiliency, and it
also absorbs shock. Think of collagen as super strong
threads that create the framework to hold the third
component of cartilage: proteoglycans.
Proteoglycans are
large water-soluble molecules. They are woven in among the
collagen threads, forming a kind of netting. This netting
traps the water. Proteoglycans also act like magnets. The
individual molecules push away from each other, again
allowing for space and a buffering effect.
Finally, tiny
factories called chondrocytes are located throughout this
netting. They produce new collagen and proteoglycans, as
well as enzymes that dispose of older, past-their-prime
collagen and proteoglycans.
Glucosamine stimulates
chondrocytes to produce more collagen and proteoglycans. The
more glucosamine there is, the more collagen and
proteoglycans there are, and the more water can be absorbed.
The end result is healthier cartilage. Because of these
properties, glucosamine can help the body help itself repair
damaged or eroded cartilage. It works at the cellular level
to reinforce our natural "repair" ability.
As we age, the
millions of movements we have made in our lives begin to
wear and tear on cartilage. Catilage begins to deteriorate,
and our bones begin to rub together. This becomes noticeable
around age 45, and often happens in the fingers, knees,
hips, neck, and lower back. Cartilage can also be destroyed
through trauma, injury, and repetitive actions.
When cartilage is
damaged, the chondrocytes go into high gear, manufacturing
more proteoglycans and collagen. Unfortunately, these
replacements may be of inferior quality, or be overproduced,
resulting in bumpy joint surfaces. Chondrocytes also produce
more of the enyzmes that "eat away" old matter.
These enzymes may begin attacking the new, inferior
cartilage, with an end result of diminished cartilage, not
more cartilage. This also may result in fewer proteoglycans,
which means the cartilage cannot hold water well. The
cartilage can then dry out and wear out more quickly.
The result is that we
begin to feel our bones rubbing together during movement. We
experience pain and stiffness.
One way to counter the
deterioration and destruction of cartilage is to increase
the amount of glucosamine your body has—remember,
glucosamine helps the body build and repair damaged
cartilage. Glucosamine is not only a "builder" but
also a painkiller. In sum, it improves joint function and
reduces pain. It makes no difference whether it comes from
foods we eat or from supplements.
Many clinical trials
have demonstrated that glucosamine results in less pain due
to cartilage deterioration and a wider range of movement.
The first studies were
performed in the 1960s, using injectable forms of
glucosamine sulfate. When glucosamine sulfate became
available in pill form, research switched to this.
Up to the present,
most glucosamine studies have been performed outside of
North America. In all of these studies, glucosamine sulfate
proves to maintain joint health.
An early study in
Italy found that 20 percent of those using glucosamine
sulfate became "symptom-free." Nearly 25 percent
had no restriction of active or passive movement. The
researchers concluded that glucosamine sulfate rebuilt
damaged cartilage. Clinical Therapeutics 3, no. 4 (1980):
226-272. A large-scale study looked at over 1,200 patients
with osteoarthritis. Results show that pain decreased
throughout the trial, that both active and passive movement
improved, and that glucosamine proved to work for six to 12
weeks after treatment had stopped. Pharmatherapeutica 3, no.
3 (1982): 157-168. In a study comparing glucosamine sulfate
to the pain reliever ibuprofen, the ibuprofen proved more
effective the first two weeks, but then faded. After eight
weeks, the glucosamine sulfate group reported better
results. Current Medical Research and Opinioin 8, no. 3
(1982): 145-149. More recently, Italian researchers found
glucosamine to be more effective than placebos or
traditional NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) in
treating osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and Cartliage 5,
supplement A (1997): 82.
It should be noted
that although there are positive results in all of these
studies, not all participants experience them. Thus,
although glucosamine works for many people, it does not
necessarily work for all people.
AIM Frame Essentials™
contains two types of glucosamine—glucosamine sulfate and
glucosamine hydrochloride (HCL)—with methylsulfonylmethane
(MSM) and boswellin extract. This unique formula provides
you with an all-around product to maintain healthy joints
and promote ease of movement.
Both glucosamine
sulfate and glucosamine HCL are forms of glucosamine.
Glucosamine makes up 63 percent of glucosamine sulfate and
83 percent of glucosamine HCL. Most human studies have used
glucosamine sulfate. This is because the company that paid
for the research developed this form. Glucosamine HCL has
not been evaluated as extensively, but clinical experience
from a variety of health practitioners indicates that
glucosamine HCL works just as well. Many health
practitioners recommend trying one, and if that does not
work, trying the other. AIMFrame Essentials™ gives you
both of these at once.
MSM is a biologically
active form of the mineral sulfur. Sulfur is the fourth most
plentiful mineral in the body and is found in every cell of
the body. Sulfur plays a particularly important role in
tissue structure. MSM is naturally present in foods and the
human body. MSM has been used by veterinarians for more than
15 years, and use by humans goes back some 20 years.
The formation of MSM
begins when marine algae release sulfur compounds that are
transformed in ocean water into a substance known as
dimethyl sulfide (DMS). DMS rises into the atmosphere where
it is transformed into DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) and MSM.
These compounds are returned by rainwater to the earth,
where they are absorbed by plants.
MSM contributes to
healthy joints because, as a form of sulfur, it adds to the
benefits of glucosamine. It may aid glucosamine in its role
in maintaining healthy cartilage as well as in helping to
maintain joint flexibility and mobility. Many glucosamine
users experience increased benefits when adding MSM to their
supplement regimen.
Boswellia serrata
(Indian frankincense) has been used for centuries in the
Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine to maintain healthy
joints. This is still one of its main uses.
Boswellic acids
improve blood supply to the joints and maintain the
integrity of blood vessels. At least one study has indicated
that they may open up collateral blood circulation to
provide adequate blood supply to the joints.
Boswellic acids have
been known to reduce joint swelling, maintain blood supply
to inflamed joints, maintain mobility, and reduce pain due
to stiffness in the joints. They also have no side effects.
For optimal benefits,
take 2 tablets in the morning and 2 tablets in the evening,
for a total of 4 tablets per day. Best taken with meals.
After experiencing the desired results, take 1 tablet in the
morning and 1 tablet in the evening for maintenance. Shelf
life is 2 years, sealed. Close tightly after opening and
store in a cool, dry, dark place (70-75 °F; 20.1-23.8°C).
Do not refrigerate.
There should be no
reason for children to be using this product. Pregnant women
should consult with a health practitioner.
The source of the
glucosamine is marine shellfish.
Yes, you may. You may
experience positive synergy between AIMFrame Essentials™
and other AIM products.
There are no
indications that glucosamine interacts with other
medications. Of course, you should always consult a health
practitioner when adding new substances to your regimen.
Yes, in one study on
glucosamine sulfate in pill form, 90 percent of the
glucosamine was absorbed.
There is no doubt that
products such as these provide rapid relief. However,
studies have shown that after four weeks of use, glucosamine
is as effective or more effective than these products in
providing relief from joint problems.
Glucosamine is safe. A
few people have reported stomach upset and nausea. In a year
of formal testing of glucosamine, no significant side
effects were found.
Suggested Reading
Mindell, Earl. The MSM
Miracle. New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing, Inc., 1997.
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