With age comes wisdom, they say. Unfortunately, it also will bring you muscle aches and arthritis sooner or later. Your body, like everything else, breaks down with wear and tear. But there are things you can do to delay the onset of those aches and pains or at least make them less painful. Exercise is one thing you can do. Another is taking the right kind of vitamins.
Vitamins and Supplements
A slew of vitamins and nutritional supplements can help you deal with arthritis and muscle pain. Vitamins A, B6, C, and E are all recommended for joint health, according to the website vitaminstohealth.com. If you do not get enough vitamin A you are likely to experience deterioration of your joints, according to the website. It is important, though, that you not exceed your daily allowed intake. B6 also helps stave off arthritis. Vitmainstohealth.com says vitamin E "stimulates cartilage synthesis and inhibits the breakdown of cartilage," while "vitamin C is important in wound healing, including tissue repair and also functions as an antioxidant. It is needed for the creation of collagen, which is used in the skin, ligaments and bone."
Two helpful substances are glucosamine and chondroitin. According to the website arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com, "studies have shown glucosamine and chondroitin to be effective against arthritis, making these supplements first-line agents for most people with joint complaints." The website trulyhuge.com seconds this opinion. "Supplementation with Glucosamine has been shown in both actual studies and anecdotal cases to help the body replace sulfur stores, which is a major constitute of ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. The studies also showed a maintenance and repair of damaged tissues."
Ensure that you get sufficient chelated zinc to avoid joint pain and morning joint stiffness. Folic acid is another nutrient you need, as well as omega-3 fatty acids.
Considerations
Some of these nutrients are expensive and may take many months before they start to work. For example, glucosamine costs 66 cents per gram and chondroitin $1 per gram. You need to take these together for best results--500 mg of glucosamine and 400 mg of chondroitin three times per day for several months--according to arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com. That can add up. Omega-3 fatty acids seem to take their sweet time too. As arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com points out, "clinical trials have found omega-3s to be useful for arthritis if enough is taken for several months."
Tags: glucosamine chondroitin, according website, fatty acids
