VSE

Eat Cartilage?

Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements abound. They're being used to speed recovery from sports injuries and to repair joints. Clinical evidence actually supports the use of glucosamine for joint repair. Should we believe it?.

 

You better believe it. Glucosamine and chondroitin make up two major components of cartilage, the major building block of joints. So it only makes sense that these components would help build healthy joints... while the body can create them out of other nutrients, it saves time and energy by efficiently converting consumed glucosamine and chondroitin.

There's even more evidence that these supplements help. Althogh western countries over time have tended to eliminate many animal parts from their diets, focusing on the prime cuts of meat, other countries still enjoy many alternative delicacies. Choices like pig's feet in China and chicken cartliage in Japan are still popular. And the epidemiological evidence of osteoarthritis prevalence in Asia shows that it is one tenth as frequent there as among those of western European descent. Could be genetic, but could there be a dietary component? Next time you buy whole chicken, chow down on the nice chunk of cartliage that runs between the white meat of the breasts... crunchy, but not chewy, and filled with glucosamine and chondroitin. Why buy a pill when you can get your nutrients straight from the source?