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Delivering Joint Health Options

Delivering Joint Health Options

by Shari Barbanel | May 1, 2014

Manufacturers are offering diverse, value-added products for the growing demographic seeking natural joint health care.

The ability to move easily and without pain is a gift that is often taken for granted. As the body ages, the joints become stiffer and less flexible, making it more difficult to move around. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five (27 percent) adults in the United States report having doctor-diagnosed arthritis, while from 2010 to 2012, 49. 7 percent of adults age 65 years and older reported an arthritis diagnosis. Further, by 2030, an estimated 67 million Americans aged 18 and older are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

And it is not just the aging population that is affected by joint health issues, as The CDC reported that an estimate 294,000 children under the age of 18 (approximately one in every 250 children in the U.S.) have some form of arthritis or rheumatic condition. Athletes who participate in high impact sports and workouts such as cycling, running, etc. are also in danger of developing joint health issues by over-training, not warming up correctly, among other causes.

“The range of consumers looking for joint health products continues to expand. These products appeal not only to older individuals, but also to the ever-expanding population of people who are looking to stay significantly more active as they age,” said Andrew Halpner, vice president of product development for Douglas Laboratories in Pennsylvania. “We see an increasing number of Baby Boomers running marathons and participating in high intensity sports. When you add in the typical weekend warrior, this constitutes a large population of people who are in need of finding ways to help maintain joint comfort and function.”

Additionally, America’s obesity epidemic has become a factor when it comes to joint health issues, as the extra weight puts pressure on the body, causing wear and tear on the joints. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 154.7 million Americans age 20 and older are overweight or obese (BMI of 25.0 kg/m2 and higher). Of that number, 78. 4 million are obese (having a BMI of 30.0 kg/m2 or higher). Further, the CDC reports that 22.6 percent of overweight and 31.2 percent of obese Americans report doctor-diagnosed arthritis, while 66 percent of adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis are overweight or obese.

“The market is driven by the inadequate diet, (standard American diet) that most of Americans have today,” said Clint DeWitt, manager of Nevada-based Coral LLC. “This combined with what we have been raised on in the past 50 years compounds The lack of nutrition epidemic. Basically we are not getting the necessary, sufficient minerals/vitamins for the body to heal itself.”

Because joint pain can be common among seniors, athletes and those with active lifestyles, the demographic of the joint health category continues to grow. “Joint health is strong category for our stores,” said Trent Hurley, co-owner of No Name Nutrition Markets, which has two locations in Omaha, NE. “As people age, the joints are one area that almost always are affected. Now that the Baby Boomers are aging, there are more and more people coming in asking about products to help speed relief for their joint pain.”

Further, many Americans are growing weary of the side effects that come with many traditional treatments such as pain medications, and are looking to natural alternatives for some relief. “When people hurt, they are motivated to get to the root cause of the problem, said Chris D. Meletis, ND, director of science and research for Trace Mineral Research (TMR) in Utah. “As I tell my patients, it is always best to put an exclamation point at the end of sentences than a question mark. The reality is that (wear + tear) repair = joint/tissue health. Bottom line: if you have a splinter, sure you can take pain relievers, but at the same time is it not wise to remove the splinter, the cause of pain in the first place?”

Joint Healthy Ingredients

And as consumers look to address the root cause of their joint pain, they look to their natural health retailers for support. “Some of our customers come in knowing exactly which product they want, due to friend or family recommendations; some are coming in due to doctor’s recommendation and others are looking for options for their ailments,” said Hurley. “We strive to educate the customer in what options are available, while advising them to check with their pharmacist to make sure none of the natural products will interfere with their prescription medication.”

“Bone and joint health concerns have grown globally due to increased cases of fractures, back and neck pains, bone ailments and trauma as well as a significant aging population,” added Lou Paradise, president and chief of research for New Yorkbased Topical BioMedics, Inc. “The industry has been offering diverse, value-added functional ingredients that are now concentrating on other health segments to address overall bone and joint health. Some of these ingredients include calcium and mineral complexes, prebiotic fiber and vitamins. Typical ingredients are glucosamine (in different forms), collagen peptide, and chondroitin, as well as sea cucumber, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), hyaluronic acid, boswellia, curcumin and omega-3 fatty acids.”

Chondroitin (also known as chondroitin sulfate) is a naturally occurring compound found in cartilage. When Chondroitin is present in the body, it is supposed to promote healthy joints by blocking damaging enzymes, increasing water retention, and enhancing the elastic properties of the cartilage.

Glucosamine (also known as glucosamine sulfate) is a natural component of healthy human cartilage. An amino sugar compound that is produced by the body, glucosamine aids in repairing damaged cartilage, building new cartilage, cushioning joints, relieving pain, and reducing inflammation.

Collagen is a type of protein that is very important in maintaining healthy joints. There are more than 25 types of collagen, it is fibrous in nature and connects and supports other bodily tissues, including the skin, bone, tendons, muscles, as well as cartilage. Some types of arthritis can cause the cartilage in joints to lose elasticity and begin to wear away in the areas that see the most movement, such as knees, ankles and wrists. Without the natural shock absorbers present, tendons and ligaments stretch to fill in for the missing cartilage, which causes pain.

MSM is an organic sulfur compound found naturally in fruits, grains, vegetables, animals and humans. MSM provides sulfur, which is a building block of various parts of the body including the joints and cartilage. Additionally, MSM can help improve joint flexibility, reduce stiffness, swelling and pain, improve circulation and cell vitality.

Varied Products

Coral’s Joint & Collagen is formulated with specific ingredients to work cohesively. According to DeWitt, the glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, MSM and collagen assist in maintaining strong cartilage and/or joints. The Coral Minerals combined with the vitamins enhance the calcium absorption. Finally, there are two ingredients, betaine HCI and malic acid that directly affect the body’s metabolism. “Besides the coral minerals in our product we have the full dosage (40mg) of UC-II,” he explained. “Derived from chicken sternum cartilage, UC-II consists of undenatured type II collagen that supports joint comfort, flexibility and mobility.”

ActivJoint (formerly known as Arth-X) from TMR was first launched in the early 1990s. Since then, the company has added proven bone and joint nutrients such as glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM to the formula. “The big difference between our bone and joint products and any other on the market is that we include ConcenTrace, an ionic trace mineral supplement that contains over 72 ionic trace minerals that have been harvested from the Great Salt Lake,” said Meletis. “ConcenTrace has been clinically tested and shown to support bone and joint health.”

Research show that essential fatty acids are beneficial to healthy joints and can help curb stiffness, joint pain and inflammation. Canadabased Ascenta Health Ltd. Launched its NutraSea hp formula in 2006. “One of the things that makes NutraSea hp so unique is the high potency of the product –3:1 EPA – DHA ratio with 1,500 mg EPA in each dose,” explained Amy Wheaton, online marketing manager for the company. “The other thing about NutraSea products that sets it apart is the Pure Check program. We created our Pure Check program because we wanted to make it easy for our customers to see exactly what’s in their bottle of fish oil.”

Through the Pure Check program, each lot of fish oil the company’s produces is third-party tested by independent labs to ensure label claims are met and exceeded. The results for each batch are then posted online for customers to see. Every bottle of NutraSea has a lot number printed on the label. Customers can visit purecheck.net and enter the lot number of your product to see its test results.

While when some consumers hear the word “enzyme,” the immediately associate it with the digestive system, however, systemic enzymes (which are different from digestive enzymes) can benefit immune health, cardiovascular health, blood glucose levels and can help reduce inflammation. In fact, systemic enzymes are often recommended As an alternative to non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) because they act as a natural inflammatory.

Douglas Laboratories best-selling joint supplements are a family of systemic enzyme formulations named Wobenzym, which are comprised of both plant-based and pancreatic enzymes as well as the flavonoid rutin. According to the company, this family of products is built on a long history of clinical research that has investigated its effects on a healthy inflammatory response and its ability to offer temporary relief from Everyday aches, pains and muscle soreness due to everyday activities.

“First introduced as a pharmaceutical in Germany over 50 years ago, the Wobenzym family of products stands out from other products in the joint health category as a result of the depth and breadth of research that has been performed,” said Halpner. “The family of Wobenzym products may in fact be one of the most researched product lines in the dietary supplement industry.”

Delivery Options

Offering a variety of delivery options is beneficial to the wide range of customers in the category. “We offer both liquid and soft gel omega-3 supplements and they both perform at about the same rate. Some athletes do prefer to take soft gels as they’re more convenient for traveling,” said Ascenta’s Wheaton. “On the other hand, our liquid formula has a daily dose of just one teaspoon per day, compared with four soft gels. It really depends on the individual—some people do not like swallowing capsules; some people prefer the soft gel format.”

Illinois-based Redd Remedies offers a number of products for joint health including JOINT Health and JOINT Health Advance, which contain Membrell’s Original NEM (natural eggshell membrane) for joint health. In addition, the company recently launched the Joint Health Soft Chew. “This is a one per day Black Cherry flavor Soft Chew providing the same seven to 10 day results as the capsule,” said Dan Chapman, founder and CEO of the company. “Our soft chew base is non- GMO (genetically modified organism). With more and more people looking for alternatives to capsules and tablets this will be a popular choice for consumers.”

Topircin Pain Relief and Healing Cream from Topical BioMedics, Inc. utilizes a proprietary process that synergizes a combination of homeopathic biomedicines providing rapid soothing relief in a non-chemical water based cream. The biomedicines provide maximum performance by first stimulating lymphatic drainage of toxins and fluid buildup and restoring oxygen rich blood flow to the affected area to enhance a robust healing response—supporting the body’s desire to heal the damage at the cellular level that is causing the pain, according to the company.

According to Hurley, while the majority of sales in the joint health category are for capsule or tablet supplements or herbs, No Name Nutrition Markets offers its customers a variety of joint health products including homeopathic remedies, liquid and powder supplements, as well as topical creams.

Education/Support

Natural products retailers are often a trusted source customers seek out to for guidance, so employing a topnotch staff is vital. “We hire only welleducated, thoughtful, and intelligent staff for the supplements department. We do not hire anyone that needs ‘training,’” said Adam Stark, co-owner and supplement manager of Debra’s Natural Gourmet in Concord, MA. “They are all allowed to advise customers as they see fit, within the constraints of DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994) and general truth-in-advertising ethics,” he added. “So, I might steer people right to the fish oil and Glucosamine and Chondroitin, because I want to establish the basics first, and only later get discussing herbal antiinflammatories and immunologic cross-reactivity or whatever, set them up with an herbal painkiller for especially bad days, etc. Another of our staff tends to run right over to the TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) formulas for clearing damp-heat, or maybe something ayurvedic, or gets into the deer antler.”

For their part, manufacturers can do a number of things to support their retail partners. For instance, Ascenta offers training presentations and instore demos. Topical BioMedics also supports retailers with educational flyers, samples and demos. “There is nothing more powerful than someone coming to you in need of help and you showing how much you care about them by providing them with sound educational information and product or service choices to help them solve a problem and overcome it,” concluded Paradise. “That gets everyone excited and makes for lifelong relationships.”

“The reality is that (wear + tear) repair = joint/ tissue health. Bottom line: if you have a splinter, sure you can take pain relievers, but at the same time is it not wise to remove the splinter, the cause of pain in the first place?”

–Chris D. Meletis, ND Director of Science & Research, Trace Mineral Research

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