Why glucosamine/chondroitin is not enough.

Cartilage:

The two bones that meet in a synovial joint (knees, elbows, wrists and knuckles are all synovial joints) are each cushioned with a layer of cartilage, which keeps them from rubbing against each other. That layer of cartilage is made up of two important elements: collagen and proteoglycans.

Proteoglycans represent 30% of the joint cartilage matrix; Collagen makes up the other 70% of joint cartilage matrix.

Collagen:

Collagen is a long, strong fibrous protein. Collagen fibers wrap around each other in a winding helix to give your hardest tissues, like cartilage, integrity.

There are four main types of collagen:

1. Type I, found in bones, tendons and skin
2. Type II, found in cartilage and the disks between vertebrae
3. Type III, found in blood vessels and internal organs
4. Type IV, found in the basement membrane (the boundary of tissues)

Your joint cartilage is primarily made up of Type II collagen, so that’s the kind you need to focus on protecting.

Why does glucosamine/chondroitin need collagen to be effective? Because, collagen is the matrix that holds everything together.

Joint collagen makes up the 70% of cartilage that gives it structure, strength and smoothness. Glucosamine/chondroitin support the 30% of cartilage (proteoglycans) that helps maintain elasticity and compression.

Think of cartilage as a house – collagen is like the frame of a house, glucosamine/chondroitin are like the sheetrock. In cartilage, collagen is the framework that holds everything in place, including chondroitin and glucosamine. If collagen is degraded, there is no framework to hold chondroitin and glucosamine.

FlexNow® with 100% SheaFlex70™ demonstrably supports joint collagen and the joint cartilage matrix. In fact, FlexNow® with 100% SheaFlex70™ is clinically proven to reduce breakdown in joint collagen/cartilage by 44%.

Taken together, glucosamine/chondroitin and FlexNow® with 100% SheaFlex70™ target 100% of your joint health.

You may be among the majority of joint-pain sufferers who have not experienced 100% relief from taking glucosamine alone. That doesn’t mean you should stop taking your glucosamine – it’s a key building block for chondroitin. What’s essential to remember is that chondroitin is deposited inside your body’s collagen network. If your collagen network isn’t strong, your joints don’t have a place to deposit the chondroitin. Which would explain why glucosamine alone isn’t always enough.

FlexNow® with 100% SheaFlex70™ has been clinically proven, in over 30 clinical trials and studies, to:

• Reduce inflammation by 9X
• Improve cartilage retention by 44%
• Reduce bone destruction by 10%
• Alleviate pain by 45%