Health and Nutrition Info
By Didrik J. Sopler, Ph.D, L.Ac.
03-16-06

The importance of antioxidants for healthy joints

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) are antioxidant enzymes made in the body as a protection against free radical damage.

One of the tissues SOD helps to protect is joint cartilage. This was investigated in a study were the researchers analyzed cartilage from patients with osteoarthritis and compared these samples with cartilage samples from patients who did not have osteoarthritis.¹

The researchers found that articular cartilage, the type of cartilage found in joints, contained large amounts of extracellular SOD.

The most interesting discovery however was that the patients with osteoarthritis had approximately a 4-fold lower level of extracellular SOD compared with the patients who did not have osteoarthritis.

The conclusion from the study was that extracellular SOD is decreased in osteoarthritis and SOD is a major scavenger of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) in cartilage. This means that inadequate control of free radicals is involved in the development of osteoarthritis and this contributes to the damage of cartilage. It is one of the factors involved in the disease process.

The good news is that you can support the body's production of SOD by taking the minerals zinc, copper and manganese.

These minerals are necessary for the production of the body's own SOD and help provide protection from free radicals.²

Degenerative joint disease is very common. In approximately 80% of people over 55 radiological evidence of cartilage degeneration can be seen. Even at the age of 30 it is very common to find cartilage degeneration in the knees.

Considering these facts it makes sense to do as much as we can to support healthy cartilage. Degenerative joint disease is both painful and disabling. It makes it a lot more difficult to participate in various activities if you have knee pain due to osteoarthritis.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are not a good solution either. While these drugs may inhibit pain they do little to affect the cause of the problem. They also come with undesirable side effects, some of which can be very serious

. Antioxidant protection is only one of the important factors affecting joint cartilage. That is why the BMJ formula which was designed to support bone, cartilage and neuromuscular function contain a combination of nutrients including zinc, copper and manganese for SOD production.

If you have muscle skeletal pain log on to www.tissuerecovery.com and click on “Do you have pain and inflammation" for more information.

Wishing you the best of health,

Didrik

References:

1. Regan E, Flannelly J, et al. Extracellular superoxide dismutase and oxidant damage in osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rhem. 2005 Nov;52(11):3479-91.
2. DiSilvestro RA, Marten J, Skehan M. Effects of copper supplementation on ceruloplasmin and copper-zinc superoxide dismutase in free-living rheumatoid arthritis patients. J Am Coll Nutr. 1992 Apr;11(2):177-80.