Be Good to Your Joints

Our joints are essential to how well we function in daily life. Think of all the times you bend, twist, turn, lift, jump, squeeze, and run. Healthy joint function is increasingly important as we age.

• Cartilage covers and cushions the ends of bones so the structure can move freely.
• The joint capsule, synovium, makes fluid that nourishes and lubricates each joint.
• Ligaments surround the joint capsule to support a smooth joint movement. Tendons, ligaments, and muscles connect to it thanks to a protein called collagen.
• Without collagen, connective tissue loses elasticity. Connective tissue and bones can turn brittle.
• Injury from dislocation and diseases like bursitis and arthritis can cause damage, inflammation, and immobility to our joints.

How many joints do we have in our body? That’s a loaded question. It depends. Their structure and function define how joints are classified. Knees, elbows, wrists, fingers and even skull sutures are joints. A joint is a combination of bone, ligaments, cartilage, and muscle. Due to classification overlap, an adult body can have between 200 to 400 joints.

It is possible to enjoy a range of motion and pain-free movement regardless of age. However, a seriously sedentary lifestyle encourages premature loss of joint function. Desk workers must learn to stretch, take frequent breaks, and keep muscles healthy. Maintaining optimal pain-free joints with a full range of motion involves some commonsense tactics.

• Keep moving. Don’t let a little pain stop everything. Get pain evaluated and incorporate appropriate regular movement to reduce joint pain, ease stiffness, strengthen muscles, and keep joints lubricated. Do range-of-motion exercises by extending, bending and rotating joints regularly. Low impact activities like cycling, golf, swimming, water exercises and regular walking are particularly beneficial to joint health.
• Keep weight under control. Carrying too much body weight stresses weight-bearing joints and wears down cartilage. Losing a pound reduces stress on the knee joint by four pounds. For instance, dropping 10 pounds reduces knee pressure by 40 pounds. Use hand-held weights for strength training to stabilize the joints and help ease the pain. Just don’t overdo exercise.
• Diet is vital for joint health. Add anti-inflammatory foods like sweet potatoes, coconut milk, wild Alaskan salmon, extra virgin olive oil, and nuts. For healthy bones, include calcium-rich foods like yogurt, dark leafy greens, and dairy products. Vitamin D found in fatty fish, canned tuna, wild mushrooms, and cod liver oil helps calcium absorption. Muscles need protein from sources like meat, fish, beans, nuts, and legumes.
• Stop smoking. Osteoporosis and bone fracture risk increase exponentially for those who smoke. So give up the habit.
• Add nutritional supplements. When a diet may lack some nutrients, consider adding supplements to your diet.

Natural aging is closely associated with the loss of collagen and deterioration of connective tissue. Cartilage is also under a constant state of renewal from everyday wear and tear and overexertion.

We know that with joint health, one size does not fit all. Research shows certain natural ingredients can support healthy joints minus the side effects. QOL offers three distinct formulas: Cartiquil^® for joint comfort, Cartilast^® for joint structure, and Cartiflex^® for joint mobility.*

Our focus today is on QOL Cartiflex^®. This supplement promotes joint mobility and flexibility, helps cushion and lubricate the joints, and promotes a more active daily life.* Collagen is a critical structural protein and with hyaluronic acid is the main component of connective tissue.

Cartiflex^® is formulated using hydrolyzed BioCell Collagen produced from a single natural source of cartilage. Since it is manufactured using a patented process to reduce molecule size, the supplement delivers better absorption, acts faster, and offers higher bioavailability to the body.* This advanced formula includes glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate.

Naturally produced in the body, hyaluronic acid is found in skin, connective tissue, and our eyes. Its primary function is to retain water to keep tissue like skin dermis well lubricated. Chondroitin sulfate molecules provide structure to connective tissue, help maintain space between joints, support joint flexibility, and preserves cartilage volume.*

Manufactured exclusively in the USA and Europe, BioCell Collagen is affirmed GRAS (generally regarded as safe), is non-GMO and free of gluten, soy, shellfish, fish, egg, milk, peanuts, and sugar.