Since these esters of fatty acids were first used to treat arthritis, I thought it appropriate to start with some of the more common forms of this debilitating disease. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, and it presently has been diagnosed in over 40 million Americans. It's technically not an arthritis because there's no inflammation produced except in the later stages, and so it's often referred to as degenerative joint disease or osteoarthrosis. By the time we reach 75 years of age, 85 percent of us will develop this form of arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a slow, progressive degeneration of the cartilage found between the ends of the bones, particularly in weight-bearing joints like the hips and knees. It's also commonly found in joints that are used extensively, like the hands and fingers.
The major cause of osteoarthritis is physical stresses to the joint. It can result from a major trauma to the joint, increased weight-bearing, or repetitive stress injuries. Being overweight, having poor posture, or weakened and atrophied muscles, greatly increases abnormal weight-being on the joints and also causes the cartilage to wear away much faster.
Prior to the availability of Collastin, I treated arthritic patients with glucosamine and other nutrients. The most frustrating part of using glucosamine to treat osteoarthritis was the length of time it took before many of my patients experience any relief. I love this nutrient, and it really does help to reconstruct the cartilage within the joint, but symptom relief is slow in coming. Collastin, on the other hand, works very quickly. If you remember, in 1991 Harry W. Diehl was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and treated himself, over a 10 day period, with a small amount of cetyl myristoleate - the active ingredient found in Collastin. He claims that he remained symptom-free for over five years!
Collastin changed my practice almost over night. I no longer had to sell patients on a program that took three to four months before they felt any difference. Collastin's super-lubricating and potent anti-inflammatory qualities put a weapon in my arthritis arsenal that took me from a muzzleloader to an M-16 on full automatic! And by throwing in the nutrients that I was already using, we consistently hit the target and hit the bulls-eye 90 percent of the time!
These other nutrients which have been found to help reconstruct the soft tissue within the joints - including the cartilage, tendons, and ligaments - are glucosamine, manganese, and esterfied vitamin C.
Glucosamine Hydrochloride
This is one nutrient that has received a lot of press lately. It was the main topic in a recent best selling book on arthritis. And rightly so! Next to Collastin, glucosamine has relieved the symptoms of osteoarthritis in more of my patients than any other one nutrient. Glucosamine is manufactured by the body and is used primarily to help form the cushioning components of joint fluids and surrounding tissues. It thickens synovial fluid, making it more elastic; repairs the cartilage in damaged arthritic joints; and creates more support for joints, including the vertebrae. Besides helping to form the cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and synovial fluid in the joint, it also plays a role in the formation of nails, skin, eyes, bones and heart valves. And, finally, it's involved in the mucous secretions of the digestive, respiratory and urinary tracts.
As we age, we lose the ability to manufacture glucosamine which results in degeneration of the structures within the joints. Since we don't get a significant amount in our diets, we need to supplement with some form of glucosamine. Available sources of glucosamine are derived from chitin, the exoskeleton of shrimp, lobsters, and crabs. Presently, it's commercially sold in three forms: 1) glucosamine sulfate (GS); 2) N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG); 3) glucosamine hydrochloride (GHCL). The N-acetyl-glucosamine has been found to be not as effective in treating joint conditions, and actually very little, if any, ends up in the joints. Most of my earlier clinical experience research comparing the glucosamine sulfate to the glucosamine hydrochloride, I started recommending the hydrochloride form. I found it to be just as effective, and it's less expensive.
I may have opened a can of worms for some of you. There will be many health care providers who claim the sulfate form of glucosamine is more effective than the hydrochloride form. Let me share some of the information that I've found concerning the two. First of all, most of the studies done from 1980 to 1994 were with the sulfate form because it was made available by an Italian pharmaceutical company which had proprietary position or patent on the sulfate. So, it was to their advantage to make the sulfate form available for clinical studies. However, in studies performed as early as 1971, comparing the effects of glucosamine sulfate, glucosamine iodide, and glucosamine hydrochloride, it was found that glucosamine hydrochloride had the strongest effect.
The reason for its stronger effect is that it's much more pure. Actually, glucosamine sulfate is made from glucosamine hydrochloride by adding either sodium or potassium sulfate. Adding these additional compounds increases the cost by another 50 percent. All of the glucosamine sulfate imported into the United States is only 80 percent pure, with the remaining 20 percent being sodium or potassium chloride. This is done because the glucosamine sulfate is very unstable and tends to decompose, turn brown, and lose its effectiveness. Glucosamine hydrochloride, on the other hand, is very stable and is 99 percent pure. In this unmixed form, it delivers 83 percent of the glucosamine to the joints. Glucosamine sulfate mixed with other salts distributes only 62 percent of the glucosamine to the joints. Put another way, you would have to take 1995 milligrams of glucosamine sulfate to equal the effects of 1500 milligrams of glucosamine hydrochloride! This decreases your cost even further!
You may also hear that the sulfur in the glucosamine sulfate is necessary for the construction of the cartilage matrix. The original researchers of glucosamine sulfate found, however, that the results obtained in treating osteoarthritis were due to the glucosamine and not to the sulfate. They discovered that the sulfate, chloride, and iodide salts are passed from the body as waste. And the sulfur used to construct these joint structures actually comes from existing proteins present in the cartilage.
I do believe that sulfur is critical in reconstructing connective and joint tissue. A better way of doing this would be by consuming more sulfur-containing foods including garlic, onions, eggs and asparagus.
Another interesting point to consider is what really happens during the digestion of glucosamine sulfate. Your stomach contains hydrochloric acid which is necessary for the digestion of food. When the glucosamine sulfate enters the stomach, the sulfate portion is split off and the hydrochloride is attached to the glucosamine creating glucosamine hydrochloride! The sulfate molecule is essentially lost due to its very low concentrations, compared to the large amount of hydrochloric acid present in your stomach. So there you are! If your body is going to turn it into glucosamine hydrochloride, why not take it in that form in the first place and eliminate all the unnecessary salt that you probably don't need anyway.
I've included the following chart as a quick reference guide to compare the two most active forms of glucosamine. I've intentionally left out the N-acetyl-glucosamine since its absorption and utilization by the body is questionable.
| |
Glucosamine Hydrochloride |
Glucosamine Sulfate |
| Purity |
99+ % pure |
80% pure |
| Added Salts |
None |
20% Sodium or Potassium Chloride
(to increase
stability) |
| Stability |
Very stable |
With no salt added, it tends to degrade rapidly when
exposed to moisture. It goes from white to off-white, to tan, to
brown. |
| Bio-Active Glucosamine |
83.1% |
62.8% (no salt added) |
| Equivalent Dose |
1500 mg. |
1995 mg. |
| Monthly Dose for Same Amount of Glucosamine |
60 capsules |
80 capsules |
In many of the early studies performed on glucosamine and chondriotin, an injectable form was used. In Europe, these nutrients are prescription drugs. Most reports indicate, however, that there's no difference between the injectable form and the oral tablets of glucosamine in regard to blood levels and efficacy. In fact, studies in animals and humans show that when taken orally, it can be over 90 percent absorbed!
Many health care providers are now advocating the use of chondriotin sulfates to help reconstruct damaged joints. I used the chondriotins for two years prior to my discovery of glucosamine and found them not near as effective. After reading through the research, it's now understandable. The chondriotin sulfate molecules are very large and difficult for the body to digest and absorb. Several studies show that, at best, they are only eight percent absorbable. The clinical studies that proved their efficacy actually used an injectable form of chondroitin sulfate, not an oral form. Don't worry about getting enough, your body will construct chondriotin sulfate from the glucosamine hydrochloride.
When compared to traditional medical treatments of aspirin or prescription non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucosamine has been found to be just as effective in relieving the symptoms of arthritis. However, it has no adverse side effects and, in many cases, the positive effects last 10 to 12 weeks after shopping the treatment. Remember, the aspirin and NSAIDs are symptom relievers only. In fact, it's now known that extended use of these drugs actually inhibits cartilage repair. They make the joints worse! The FDA also reported recently that there are over 200,000 cases of gastrointestinal bleeding and between 10,000 and 20,000 deaths each year in this country, as a result of using these drugs to treat arthritis. In contrast, glucosamine addresses the cause of this disease by rebuilding the joint; and it has no adverse side effects.
Most manufacturers recommend taking 1500 mg. per day. I've found that this my not be enough in some cases. I've had patients take up to three or four grams per day (3000 mg. - 4000 mg.) with excellent results, and then reduce the dosage as the symptoms decreased. If you experience any stomach upset with glucosamine, take it with your meals.
Manganese
The adult body contains about 10 to 20 milligrams of manganese. Most of this is concentrated in the pancreas, bone, liver, and kidneys. It functions as a helper in many enzyme processes in the body, including the enzyme glycosyltransferase that's responsible for the production of the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Glycosaminoglycans are protein/carbohydrate complexes that attract and bind water to the cartilage matrix making the cartilage surface very slick or slippery. Manganese is also needed to create components of the synovial fluid (fluid found within the joint that acts as a lubricant), which gives it the thick viscous quality.
A deficiency of manganese in the body could result in a decrease in the slippery quality of the cartilage surface, was well as a decrease in the fluid found with the joint. This would eventually cause the joint to dry out. As the cartilage starts to dry out, it loses its shock absorbing ability and with time can even start to break into small pieces. These small pieces of broken cartilage within the joint can cause a lot of pain when they lodge themselves next to sensitive tissues. If you've ever rubbed a wet ice cube over another wet ice cube, you have have a little insight as to how slick healthy cartilage is supposed to be. Dried out and damaged cartilage is similar to rubbing sandpaper over a piece of rough wood.
Manganese is also a component of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase, or SOD. SOD protects the body's cells from free radical damage and inflammation. In Europe, this enzyme is used in an injectable form to treat many inflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis. Although oral SOD is available in the United States, some studies indicate that it's very poorly absorbed. However, by using manganese supplementation, SOD tissue levels are increased, thereby, increasing the therapeutic effects of this super antioxidant.
Esterified Vitamin C
Vitamin C functions in over 300 different physiological processes in the body. We, as humans, are one of the few animals that do not produce our own vitamin C. A 60-pound dog, for instance, produces about four grams (or four thousand milligrams) per day. I guess that's why Sadie, my lab, will not eat oranges. Vitamin C has been found to reduce cancer rates; boost the immune system; function as an antioxidant; protect against pollutants; and enhance the healing of wounds. It primarily functions as an essential co-factor in the manufacturing of collagen. Collagen is a protein complex that functions as the cement that holds our teeth, bones, skin, and tissues together. One half of all the total protein in the body is collagen.
Esterified vitamin C, also known as Ester-C, is a special form of vitamin C that is not acidic, gentle on the digestive system, and increases vitamin C (ascorbic acid) transport into the cells. Ester-C contains a metabolite of ascorbic acid, threonic acid, that causes ascorbic acid to be transported through the cell membranes more easily, thus increasing intracellular levels. It's simple - Ester-C is easier to digest and absorb, and it gets more vitamin C inside the cells.
John's Experience with Osteoarthritis
John is a rancher and has worked very hard all of his life. He's presently 71 years old, and he and his wife work a 27-acre ranch! His 10- to 12-hour work days are spent tending to the livestock and repairing fences. When he was younger he worked on horseback tending cattle, but he's had to slow down a little since then. Aside from tending to all of the goats and chickens and trimming trees in his orchards, he also maintains three rentals on his property. He considers himself very blessed and would not change one thing except for that "darn ol' hip" of his.
Seventeen years ago, he started to develop some hip pain. He had always been able to work around it most of the time, but last year it got so bad that the pains were bringing him to his knees. He was forced to use crutches, and for the first time in his life he had to hire help to work on his ranch. He tried all of the medications that his physician recommended and even tried some natural products sold through a couple of multi-level nutritional companies, but nothing gave him any permanent relief.
Five months ago, he discovered the mixed fatty acid esters found in Collastin. His treatment program also included glucosamine. Within six days, the pain started to lessen; and after one month of daily use, he was completely pain free. He's presently back working the ranch without his crutches, and he has been able to let the hired help go!
Louise and Temperomandibular Joint Dysfunction
Louise is an avid soccer player. Six years ago she suffered a bad sprain in her ankle that never healed properly. This past year, it was so painful that she had difficulty walking. Along with this injury, she was also living with temperomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. She's a very high-strung individual, and often found herself grinding her teeth at night. The dysfunction in her jaw worsened to the point that the pain radiated down her neck and into her shoulder. And with mental stress, the pain in her jaw would increase causing her shoulder to elevate because of the increased muscle tension. She found that during these episodes, she couldn't eat solid foods because her chewing aggravated it and made it extremely painful.
Fortunately for Louise, she went to visit her grandparents who were taking Collastin for their arthritic symptoms at the time. Her grandparents were having such good results that she decided to try it for herself. She started to see results in as little as two weeks, experiencing less pain in her ankle. After one month of use, the pain in her ankle and jaw was completely gone! About this time, she and her husband were buying a new home. It didn't go very smoothly and created a lot of stress in her life. In spite of this situation, she claims that she had no pain anywhere in her shoulders, which would normally get tied up in knots.
Since these esters of fatty acids were first used to treat arthritis, I thought it appropriate to start with some of the more common forms of this debilitating disease. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, and it presently has been diagnosed in over 40 million Americans. It's technically not an arthritis because there's no inflammation produced except in the later stages, and so it's often referred to as degenerative joint disease or osteoarthrosis. By the time we reach 75 years of age, 85 percent of us will develop this form of arthritis.
