Does anyone remember Tinkertoys? It was a round box of colorful sticks of various lengths that fit into wooden discs called spools of different sizes so that you could build all kinds of fantastic structures. And if you were super talented, you could build structures with moving parts. I often think of Tinkertoys when I think of bones and joints and the fantastic structures that are built within our bodies. The complexity with which our tendons stretch, our bones stand strong, and our joints move is nothing short of engineering genius.
There is a downside to thinking about our skeletal system as Tinkertoys, though. Tinkertoys are inert. They are not alive. If you break them, they do not heal. If you crack a spool, it remains broken. Our bones and joints are living, vibrant tissue with enormous capacity for resilience and healing if injured. Joints are made of bone and connective tissue. The first step in healthy joints is to make sure you have healthy bones.
You might find this surprising, but your bones will do exactly what you tell them to do. If you don’t have much activity and don’t lift anything heavy, your bones decide you don’t need much bone strength and they begin to thin, especially as we age and with hormonal changes. But if you put pressure on your bones by doing weight bearing exercises that stress your bones a bit, they decide you must need more bone strength, so they increase in density. It is just like muscles. If you don’t use your muscles, they shrink and grow weak. If you use your muscles, they grow and become stronger.
Bones need a challenge to get stronger, such as walking or lifting weights. But they also need raw materials. That is where mineral supplementation can play a role.
Joint Disease on the Increase
There is evidence that joint disorders are on the increase. This is often attributed to poor nutrition, carrying extra weight, and sedentary lifestyles. Trends show that this problem that is projected to grow even larger over the coming years. A 2012 survey found that back pain, arthritis and other muscle, joint and bone disorders affect more than 1.7 billion people around the world. Since bone and joint disorders are reported to affect about half of all people age 50 and above, it is probable that this is a gross underestimation of actual numbers.
If your bones and joints are not strong, it is likely that you will experience pain and inflammation. Chronic inflammation is the enemy, because it can worsen and even trigger greater levels of joint and bone damage.
There are a number of clinically proven ingredients that can build bone, relieve pain and inflammation, and help preserve joint function. They can even prevent further joint damage.
Calcium
Of course, the first mineral we think of is calcium, because bones are about 65 percent calcium salts. The framework of bone is made up of a protein called collagen combined with calcium. It is the calcium that makes this framework hard. However, massive intake of calcium supplements does more harm than good, as the excess calcium may end up as calcifications in the lining of our arteries and worsen atherosclerosis. I am alarmed by mainstream practitioners who routinely recommend 1000 mg or more of unprotected calcium every day to women over 40 years of age without considering if it is a) truly effective and b) detrimental to cardiovascular health. If calcium is not prevalent in the diet, people with bone concerns might benefit from 500 mg a day of a well-absorbed calcium. Calcium is always better taken with magnesium, vitamin D and vitamin K (I like menaquinone, or vitamin K2) at a minimum, and never on its own.
Other minerals are important to bone health and are often overlooked, including magnesium and silica.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a component of bone, an architectural ingredient. But its importance is far beyond structural. Low levels of magnesium can cause inflammation in the bones, which leads to a number of problems. Magnesium also helps balance parathyroid activity, which can be crucial to bone health.
I like the chelated form of magnesium because it doesn’t cause loose stools as other forms can. The magnesium is chelated (attached chemically) to amino acids to boost absorption. One popular magnesium amino acid chelate is magnesium glycinate or bisglycinate. Lack of optimal magnesium levels is widespread in America, with estimates that up to 75 percent of our population do not meet their daily required intake for magnesium. For anyone with joint and bone concerns, adding a quality magnesium supplement or mineral blend makes very good sense.
Silica
One of the critical ingredients for joint, collagen and bone strength that many people might not be aware of is silica. Silica can be from minerals, from plants, or a synthetic form called orthosilicic acid. The plant form is generally from a plant called horsetail (Equisetum arvense).
Natural plant silica can include harsh crystals and an enzyme called thiaminase, so it is important, if using the plant source, to make sure these compounds are filtered out. One advantage to plant-based silica is that the plant extraction can keep the natural bioflavonoids intact. These compounds support silica’s activity, and have other benefits as well. Horsetail silica has a smaller molecular size and is better absorbed than some other plant sources, like bamboo.
Natural silica also has shown positive effects on the formation of collagen, which is a major component of living bone tissue and joints. That’s why silica is so valuable for stabilizing osteoporosis and osteopenia, and helping with other bone health and joint issues, as well.
One study on purified horsetail-sourced silica showed that it increased absorption of calcium into the bone by an average of 50 percent. It also played a demonstrable role in balancing the ratio of natural bone anabolism (adding minerals to bone) with bone catabolism (withdrawing minerals from the bone.) This healthy balance allows bones to retain calcium longer—by an average of 50 percent or more. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-month study of 65 women revealed that this form of silica improved bone health and strength as well. Another study on plant silica showed reduced pain in people struggling with spinal issues and poor vertebral density.
Reducing Inflammation: Curcumin and Boswellia
Inflammation is related to every single top 30 cause of death in America, excluding accidental deaths. We are awash in a sea of inflammatory triggers, from record levels of obesity and type 2 diabetes, to the toxins to which we are exposed, to the Frankenfoods that have entered our diet. Consumers most often think of inflammation as joint and muscle pain, though it is much more than that. Providing customers with a healthier, safer and more beneficial product for their joint problems as opposed to over the counter or prescription drugs is an important step in long-term wellness.
Two of the best and most clinically studied botanical ingredients for joint health are curcumin and boswellia. In multiple published studies, they have reduced pain and inflammation while improving joint and spine health, flexibility and comfort.
Curcumin and boswellia are not all created equal and can vary dramatically in efficacy. Look for curcumin that has been used in published human clinical studies with positive results, and has enhanced absorption using natural compounds. As for boswellia, it should be standardized to at least 10 percent AKBA, and be purified to remove most of the pro-inflammatory BBAs to less than 5 percent. This yields far more robust activity.
Curcumin is the best all-around anti-inflammatory, but boswellia deals with a special kind of inflammation that is prominent in joint disease called 5-lipoxegenase (5-LOX) inflammation. Pairing these botanicals provides a wider spectrum of profound relief for bone and joint issues.
Using curcumin and boswellia for pain and inflammation is a much better alternative to common over-the-counter (OTC) drugs that patients may be tempted to use as self-medication. To begin with, curcumin, the “heavy-lifter” compound from turmeric, reduces inflammation without the side effects of OTC or prescription drugs. Ibuprofen alone kills more than 16,000 Americans every year because it can cause stomach ulcers, bleeding, anemia, reduced kidney function, and greatly increased risk of heart attack and stroke. If you are taking OTC pain drugs once every month or two, you are probably not at risk. But some people are taking three or four doses every single day of their lives.
Clinical Validation
In looking at the research on the combination of curcumin (BCM-95) and boswellia (BOS-10) in a study of osteoarthritis relief, results were very interesting. These botanicals were compared to a prescription drug celecoxib (one brand name is Celebrex) in knee osteoarthritis.
One group received celecoxib, 100 mg, twice daily while the second group received a 500 mg blend of the enhanced absorption curcumin and specially standardized boswellia.
For pain relief, 64 percent of those taking the herbal ingredients versus 29 percent in the drug group improved to such a high degree that they were able to move from having “moderate to severe arthritis” to “mild to moderate arthritis.” The botanical group had twice as much overall pain relief and were able to walk a set distance without pain better than the drug group.
There is also a rheumatoid arthritis study on enhanced absorption curcumin for 45 individuals, randomized to three groups. Group one received the prescription drug diclofenac sodium, 50 mg, twice daily; group two received 500 mg of high-absorption curcumin twice daily; and group three received both diclofenac sodium and high-absorption curcumin.
Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms were evaluated using the Disease Activity Score in 28 Joints (DAS28) patient assessment. The patients taking enhanced absorption curcumin (BCM-95) alone had the best reduction of disease symptoms, followed by the drug-herb combo, with the prescription drug diclofenac sodium in last place.
In the curcumin group, there were no drop outs due to adverse effects, but in the prescription diclofenac sodium group, 14 percent experienced adverse effects that were severe enough to withdraw from the study.
Another study on enhanced absorption curcumin (Meriva, with phosphatidylcholine) demonstrated significant benefits and safety in an eight-month study. The study involved 100 people with osteoarthritis. The clinical end points were the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) score, Karnofsky Performance Scale Index, and treadmill walking performance. The results demonstrated significant improvements in all parameters, and no serious safety issues.
Topical Comfrey Beneficial
Many topical products for joints are designed to provide a cooling or warming sensation, and increase circulation for temporary relief. The botanical comfrey does not work that way. It can actually penetrate, reduce inflammation and promote healing. Some of the historic names for comfrey reflect its benefits: knitbone, bruisewort and knitback.
However, comfrey contains liver toxins called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) that are unhealthy if they are absorbed. That is why oral comfrey is no longer sold in the U.S., though topical applications remain legal. It is important to verify that any comfrey topical you use is verified to be free of PAs.
PA-free comfrey is tremendously beneficial and has been clinically studied for musculoskeletal issues in adults and children.
In a controlled, double-blind, randomized, multi-center study of acute ankle sprain and pain, patients suffering from acute ankle sprain and pain saw a reduction of pain by 50 percent in only three days.
Another study of patients with bruised and sprained knees investigated comfrey’s topical benefits when applied 12 hours after injury. Intensive treatment with comfrey and gauze wrapping continued for four days. By that point, pain and swelling had dropped considerably. By day seven, no patients had any knee pain while at rest. Most were completely pain-free by day 10. Every patient was free of pain by day 14.
There are more studies on back pain, neck pain and other joint injuries.
Many Nutrients Contribute to Bone and Joint Health
So far, we have looked at the basics for bone building and inflammation reduction. However, there are so many other nutrients that play a role in this complicated system. B-vitamins reduce homocysteine, which reduces some of the manifestations of both osteoporosis and joint damage/disease. Collagen, chondroitin and glucosamine are amazing nutrients that can be used to flood the body with building blocks for bone and joint repair. Devil’s claw increases the production of hyaluronic acid in the chondrocytes within the joint. There are compounds in shea nuts, avocados and green-lipped mussels that have demonstrated anti-inflammatory benefits. The list goes on and could encompass a book instead of an article. However, first addressing the basics with minerals and potent anti-inflammatory herbs is a great foundation to build better bones and joints! VR
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Cheryl Myers is an integrative health nurse, author, and an expert on natural medicine. She is a nationally recognized speaker who has been interviewed by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Prevention magazine. Her many articles have been published in such diverse journals as Aesthetic Surgery Journal and Nutrition in Complementary Care, and her research on botanicals has been presented at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the North American Menopause Society. Myers is the head of scientific affairs and education for EuroPharma, Inc.
