Uncovering the Benefits of Natural Joint Supplements

Natural joint supplements are a great option for people who want to harness the power of nature to reduce joint pain, improve mobility and flexibility, and protect their long-term joint function.

The focus of natural joint supplements is providing holistic health benefits through the blend of traditional wisdom and modern medicine. This article explains how these supplements can enhance your joint health naturally.

I’ve already written a complete guide on natural joint supplements, including their comparison with synthetic supplements, how to choose the right natural joint supplement for you, side effects, and more. In this particular article, my focus lies on benefits of natural joint supplements.

1. Low Risk of Side Effects

Natural joint supplements are safe and easy on your body. For healthy people, the risk of side effects from these products is minimal.¹

Of course, any supplement can cause side effects. It depends on its ingredients and their dosages, your medical history, and X factors.

Stomach upset or headaches are some of the common minor side effects from certain supplements. These can typically be avoided by taking the supplement with food and staying hydrated throughout the day.

With everything said, you should talk to your physician before taking any supplements if you fall into one of these categories:

• You take medications. Some natural joint supplements, such as turmeric, can interact with blood thinning medications for example. High doses of turmeric, even though it is natural, can cause liver strain, which is especially important to know for people with liver issues.
• You have a condition. Certain autoimmune conditions could be aggravated from supplements, even natural ones.
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Keep in mind that natural joint supplements aren’t necessarily superior to synthetic supplements. For example, MSM, which is otherwise a naturally occurring molecule in our body, can also be identically made in a lab.

The synthetic compounds to be avoided are more usually fillers and cheap additives in supplements, such as titanium dioxide, which is suggested to have negative effects on our wellness. Some people who prefer natural supplements also argue that synthetic supplements might leave a bigger environmental footprint.

2. Optimal Bioavailability & Absorption

Natural vitamins and supplements like omega-3s, turmeric, and plant extracts might offer superior absorption compared to some synthetic compounds.² Your body may recognize these natural supplements as food, resulting in optimal efficacy.

3. Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

One of the key benefits of natural joint supplements is their ability to quench inflammation in your body.

How do they do this? By blocking enzymes and proteins that trigger chronic inflammation. These include NF-kB, COX-1, and inflammatory cytokines.^{3 4}

In order to appreciate the importance of these effects, we need to understand what inflammation does to our joint tissues.

While inflammation is a natural bodily reaction to foreign invaders, injuries, toxins, and other factors, too much inflammation for too long is a problem—leading to the destruction of cartilage.⁵

By easing inflammation in your joints, these supplements should give you a relief from pain, stiffness, and swelling. They also help to inhibit arthritis and further joint degeneration.

4. Pain Relief

Pain is one of the things that prevent us from moving free and enjoying life. Natural joint supplements can significantly help in this area, depending on the severity of your condition.

Turmeric, a natural Indian spice with its active compound curcumin, is shown to have pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects similar to those of NSAIDs.⁶ Pairing it with other natural analgesics like ginger, bromelain, and Boswellia Serrata can have a profound impact on your joint recovery.

5. Joint Protection

Natural supplements don’t just relieve you of arthritis symptoms, they also work to protect your long-term joint health.

Collagen provides your body with the building blocks to repair and protect its connective tissues.⁷ Glucosamine does the same for your cartilage. ⁸

As for chondroitin, it helps your joints to retain water for smooth and pain-free movement, as well as protecting from friction and dryness that can wear down your joints over time.⁹

Further Reading:

• How Joint Supplements Aid Mobility
• Joint Supplement Benefits for Arthritis
• Can Joint Supplements Benefit Athletes?
• Boosting Your Sports Performance With Joint Supplements
• Pain Relief Benefits of Joint Supplements
• Boosting Joint Health Improvement Through Supplements
• Unveiling the Benefits of Joint Supplements for Bone Health
• Strengthening Joints With Natural Supplements
• Understanding the Benefits of Supplements for Joint Inflammation

References

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2. Thiel RJ. Natural vitamins may be superior to synthetic ones. Med Hypotheses. 2000 Dec;55(6):461-9. doi: 10.1054/mehy.2000.1090. PMID: 11090291. ↩︎
3. Olivera A, Moore TW, Hu F, Brown AP, Sun A, Liotta DC, Snyder JP, Yoon Y, Shim H, Marcus AI, Miller AH, Pace TW. Inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway by the curcumin analog, 3,5-Bis(2-pyridinylmethylidene)-4-piperidone (EF31): anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Int Immunopharmacol. 2012 Feb;12(2):368-77. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2011.12.009. Epub 2011 Dec 22. PMID: 22197802; PMCID: PMC3372981. ↩︎
4. Siemoneit U, Hofmann B, Kather N, Lamkemeyer T, Madlung J, Franke L, Schneider G, Jauch J, Poeckel D, Werz O. Identification and functional analysis of cyclooxygenase-1 as a molecular target of boswellic acids. Biochem Pharmacol. 2008 Jan 15;75(2):503-13. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2007.09.010. Epub 2007 Sep 14. PMID: 17945191. ↩︎
5. Goldring MB, Otero M. Inflammation in osteoarthritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2011 Sep;23(5):471-8. doi: 10.1097/BOR.0b013e328349c2b1. PMID: 21788902; PMCID: PMC3937875. ↩︎
6. Paultre K, Cade W, Hernandez D, Reynolds J, Greif D, Best TM. Therapeutic effects of turmeric or curcumin extract on pain and function for individuals with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2021 Jan 13;7(1):e000935. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000935. PMID: 33500785; PMCID: PMC7812094. ↩︎
7. Martínez-Puig D, Costa-Larrión E, Rubio-Rodríguez N, Gálvez-Martín P. Collagen Supplementation for Joint Health: The Link between Composition and Scientific Knowledge. Nutrients. 2023 Mar 8;15(6):1332. doi: 10.3390/nu15061332. PMID: 36986062; PMCID: PMC10058045. ↩︎
8. Conrozier T, Lohse T. Glucosamine as a Treatment for Osteoarthritis: What If It’s True? Front Pharmacol. 2022 Mar 17;13:820971. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.820971. PMID: 35370756; PMCID: PMC8968913. ↩︎
9. Fonsi M, El Amrani AI, Gervais F, Vincent P. Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid and Chondroitin Sulfate: Pharmacokinetic Investigation in Osteoarthritic Rat Models. Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. 2019 Dec 9;92:100573. doi: 10.1016/j.curtheres.2019.100573. PMID: 31956378; PMCID: PMC6957868. ↩︎