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science nutrition blog

science nutrition <strong>blog</strong>

 

By Robert Schinetsky

 

Fall is officially here.

You can see it in the trees and feel it in the wind.

And, if you are one of those lucky few who haven’t had joint problems yet, you are one of the few NOT feeling it in your joints.

Joint pain is a real thing (~¼ of adults experience knee pain!), and when the weather changes, it can cause pain in ways that most young, healthy individuals least expect (especially in athletes). Even people who have never really “gotten after it” in the gym suffer from joint pain, especially as they advance in age.

One other thing that you’ll notice as the temperatures drop and the breeze blows a bit stronger is that muscle soreness tends to linger a bit more than usual, which makes rest and recovery an even greater priority. Interestingly, new research suggests that some of the very same remedies commonly employed to deal with joint discomfort may also help alleviate delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) -- which we’ll get to more in a moment!

In addition to the usual nutrition and recovery protocols (eating enough protein, getting adequate sleep, managing stress, etc.) that you employ throughout the rest of the year, utilizing a high-quality joint supplement can further enhance recovery while helping reduce the added joint discomfort induced by cooler climates.

AML Joint Cocktail is the premier joint health support supplement to use this season (and every season) to support strong, healthy joints, reduce aches, and keep you feeling fit, healthy, and vibrant.

And, here’s why...

Whats in AML Joint Cocktail?

As we mentioned briefly above, a newly published review in the journal Amino Acids suggests that many of the same ingredients commonly used to support joint health may also help reduce post exercise muscle soreness.

Titled, The effects of collagen peptide supplementation on body composition, collagen synthesis, and recovery from joint injury and exercise: a systematic review, the paper notes that hydrolyzed collagen, collagen peptides, and UC-ll not only help reduce joint discomfort but also increases the duration of “pain-free exercise”, joint range, and muscle recovery.[1]

Let’s take a closer look now that the ingredients in AML Joint Cocktail and see how each of the ingredients supports strong, healthy joints.

Hydrolyzed Collagen

The aforementioned systematic review noted that supplementing with 5-15 grams of collagen protein an hour before exercise for over 12 weeks may reduce functional joint aches and improve muscle recovery.[1]

AML Joint Cocktail supplies 10 grams (10,000mg) of hydrolyzed collagen.

For those of you not familiar with collagen, it is the primary structural protein in the body -- it’s the “glue” that holds you together and makes you you.

Collagen not only affects the quality, appearance, and function of your hair, skin & nails, but also the health and performance of your joints.

Unfortunately, the body’s ability to naturally synthesize collagen declines over the years, which impairs recovery of all your vital tissues.

The good news is that supplementing with collagen peptides has been found to be an effective method for supporting collagen production in the body.

In particular, collagen supplementation can lead to an accumulation of collagen peptides in cartilage tissue, and it may also stimulate production of type II collagen (the major protein in articular cartilage).[2,3,4]

Other research notes that supplementing with hydrolyzed collagen daily may[5,6,7]:

  • Improve joint health or function
  • Reduce muscle soreness after exercise
  • Improvements muscle strength.[5,6,7]

 

Now, something to keep in mind is that collagen supplementation appears to offer its greatest benefit when used consistently and long-term. It isn’t something you supplement with after a particularly tough workout and stop with the DOMS subsides.

Researchers even note that “the beneficial effects of COL appear to take effect after three months or longer.”

With that in mind, think of collagen-based supplements as you would creatine monohydrate -- something you take consistently day in and day out in order to realize the full benefits.

Collagen + Vitamin C is better!

Vitamin C is widely recognized for its antioxidant properties, but it also plays a key role in collagen synthesis.

The above-mentioned review notes that “collagen synthesis is likely to increase with of the co-ingestion of vitamin C, through its role in the hydroxylation of proline and lysine, both of which are essential in creating the collagen helix formation and intermolecular cross-linking.”[1]

Other research has found that vitamin C may help to accelerate bone healing after a fracture, increase type I collagen synthesis, and reduce oxidative stress parameters.[8]

Old Faithfuls -- Glucosamine & Chondroitin

Glucosamine and chondroitin are arguably the two most popular supplements regarding joint health, and chances are high, if you’ve used a joint supplement before, then you’ve already had some exposure/experience with glucosamine and chondroitin.

We’ve previously discussed both glucosamine and chondroitin in-depth, but to briefly recap, glucosamine is an amino sugar found naturally in the cartilage and fluid around the joints.

Studies have found that glucosamine supplementation may help reduce joint aches and improve joint function.

Interestingly some observational research indicates that individuals supplementing with glucosamine tended to have better health.[9,10]

Chondroitin is a naturally occurring substance in joints that is formed from sugar chains which serve as important components of the extracellular matrix of connective tissue. It also helps the body maintain fluid and flexibility in the joints.

Various studies have found that chondroitin supplementation may[11,12,13]:

  • improve joint discomfort slightly in the short-term (< 6 months)
  • Enhance resistance and elasticity to articular cartilage
  • stimulate the synthesis of cartilage matrix components
  • improves quality of life as measured by Lequesne’s index (combined measure of function, and disability)

 

As beneficial as either compound may be on its own, there is research to suggest to the combination of the two may be superior (which is why AML Joint Cocktail includes both Glucosamine and Chondroitin and their full research-backed dosages!).

For example, various studies have found that supplementing with 1,500mg of glucosamine hydrochloride and 1,200mg of chondroitin sulfate support joint health.[14,15,16]

In addition to supporting healthy joints, glucosamine + chondroitin has been found to lower inflammatory biomarkers, including C-Reactive Protein (CRP).[17]

MSM

MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) is a naturally occurring organosulfur molecule as well as a methyl group donor.

While not used with the frequency of glucosamine and chondroitin, MSM is beginning to climb up the ladder of notoriety in the realm of joint health.[18,19,20]

Other research concerning MSM supplementation noted several improvements, including[21]:

  • Joint/muscle aches
  • Physical function
  • Oxidative stress
  • Antioxidant capacity

 

As we noted above, various joint supplements have been studied in isolation, and less frequently a combination of ingredients is compared, which is really a lacking area in the research since so many of the supplements purchased today (especially in the sports nutrition realm) are combinations of ingredients not isolated, standalone products.

 

Research from 2017 compared:

  • Placebo
  • Glucosamine + Chondroitin
  • MSM + Glucosamine + Chondroitin

 

Researchers noted greater benefits from the trio of joint health supplements in patients with knee osteoarthritis than either glucosamine + chondroitin or placebo.[22]

TurmiPure Gold Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice commonly used in Indian cuisine, easily identified by its bright yellow color. Not only is it great for amping up the flavor of food, but it’s also packed with bioactive compounds, the most well-known of which is curcumin.

Curcumin has received considerable attention in recent years for supporting joint health and function. A 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis supports the use of turmeric and curcumin for supporting joint health.[26]

Despite its potential joint health benefits, curcumin (as is the case with many polyphenols and plant compounds) has poor bioavailability.

TurmiPure Gold is an enhanced turmeric extract formulation offering very high assimilation compared to commercially available turmeric preparations.

Each 300 mg dose TurmiPure Gold® (the same dose used in AML Joint Cocktail) contains 90 mg of curcuminoids (including 69 mg of curcumin) formulated in a patent-pending water-dispersible colloidal suspension.

This unique formulation allows curcuminoids to be efficiently absorbed. In fact, pharmacokinetic data indicates that a dose of 1922mg of a standard turmeric extract (95% curcuminoids) or 2264mg of a turmeric extract (95% curcuminoids-piperine combination) to equal the bioavailability or bioactivity found with 300mg of TurmiPure Gold®.[23]

Multiple studies find that curcumin supplementation may help to significantly enhance joint health and function.[24,25,26]

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a substance that retains moisture, especially in the joints and skin, and it is found abundantly in both synovial fluid and articular cartilage.

Dosages ranging from 80-200mg have been investigated and found to potentially help joint health and function.

Hyaluronic acid has also been studied in combination with glucosamine and chondroitin and found that the combination of the three ingredients may support joint health and improve physical function.[27]

ApresFlex

Boswellia serrata has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to support joint health.

The main bioactive in boswellia serrata is 3-O-Acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA), which has been shown to have a powerful inhibitory effect on 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX).[28]

Inhibiting 5-LOX therefore may help support joint health and function.

Moreover, improving joint range of motion and overall quality of life.

AML Joint Cocktail contains the premium-grade boswellia serrata extract -- ApresFlex

Human studies show that supplementing with ApresFlex may result in as much as a 20% joint relief scores after just 5 days of use.[29]

Boswellia serrata extract not only supports joint health and function properties, but it also has been found to improve physical function.

As we’ve touched on a few times throughout this article, combinations of various joint supplements have been studied. Regarding boswellia, it has been studied in combination with MSM and compared to glucosamine.[30]

Researchers noted that the combo of MSM + boswellia was comparable to glucosamine in terms of joint relief management and functional recovery, but MSM + boswellia allowed for a slightly greater attenuation in the need for joint health and function than glucosamine.[30]

For this reason, AML Joint Cocktail includes glucosamine, boswellia, and MSM (as well as several more research-backed ingredients)!

Ginger Root Extract

Ginger is another very common culinary ingredient, and it’s also related to turmeric. It comes as little surprise, then, that ginger also possesses some intriguing joint relief properties.

Ginger contains different bioactives than turmeric, including gingerols, shogaols, zingerone, and paradol, which have been found to exert anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting various enzymes, including[49]:

  • COX-1
  • COX-2
  • 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX)

 

Ginger supplementation has also been found to help support joint health and function.[31]

Ginger may also help reduce delayed onset muscle soreness brought on by eccentric resistance exercise and endurance training.[32]

Now, you might be wondering why include both ginger and turmeric.

Well, curcumin does not modulate COX-1 activity -- ginger bioactives do.

For these reasons, combining the two ingredients together in AML Joint Cocktail may provide complementary actions and therefore greater benefit

Furthermore, research indicates that a combination of turmeric + ginger + black pepper may improve the prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels in patients and support joint health.[33]

UC-II Collagen

UC-II is a form of undenatured type II collagen derived from chicken sternum.

Now, AML Joint Cocktail already contains 10,000mg of hydrolyzed collagen peptides, and you might be wondering what another 40mg of chicken sternum collagen is really going to do.

Well, the two forms of collagen seemingly work via different mechanisms according to the research.

For instance, Type II collagen releases anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-β). This cytokines may counter the pro-inflammatory cascade associated with strenuous physical exertion, thereby creating a shift towards replenishing the extracellular matrix by the chondrocytes.[34]

The systematic review we discussed at the outset of this article also found that UC-II collagen may have the potential to improve joint functionality and range of motion.[1]

Previous works indicated that undenatured type II collagen improves knee extension and joint discomfort.[35,36,37]

Interestingly, supplementation with UC-II collagen was found to help decrease visual analog scores and joint discomfort by 40% after 90 days compared to only a 15.4% reduction in subjects receiving glucosamine + chondroitin.[38]

40mg per day of UC-II supplementation also led to a reduction in the Lequesne's functional index score by 20% as compared to a 6% drop in the glucosamine + chondroitin group at the end of 90-day study.[38]

AML Joint Cocktail contains the full research-backed 40mg dose of UC-II.

Vitamin D3

The benefits of Vitamin D3 seem endless. It’s role in bone health or immune function is pretty well known, but you might be surprised to know it also plays a role in joint health.

Research also indicates that a higher intake of vitamin D is associated with significantly better architecture of the cartilage of the knee.[39]

Plus, Vitamin D supplementation has also been found to help reduce joint discomfort and improve knee function.[40]

AML Joint Cocktail supplies 2,000IU Vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol) to support joint health, immune function, bone health, and hormone production.

AML Joint Cocktail: The REAL Deal!

AML prides itself on making the best formulas available, rooted in science.

Joint Cocktail is no exception.

We hand-selected the best ingredients (backed by research) to bring you a joint support supplement that is not only beneficial but affordable.

Every serving of Joint Cocktail provides 17 grams of premium-quality ingredients. Most joint formulas on the market contain 3-4 grams of active ingredients (at most)

To put this into perspective, you would have to take over 20 tablets or capsules to get the same clinical effective dosages found in one serving of AML Joint Cocktail. Moreover, Joint Cocktail is available in powder form only, which eliminates the need to have to choke down handfuls of capsules and provides for more quicker digestion and uptake since the body doesn’t have to first breakdown a capsule.

All together, there is no supplement on the market like AML Joint Cocktail.

Take one serving daily to support joint health, reduce soreness, and enhance recovery to help you train harder with greater frequency and obtain the best results possible!

 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

  These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

 

© Published by Advanced Research Media, Inc., 2021

© Reprinted with permission from Advanced Research Media, Inc.References

 

References

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  2. Oesser S, Adam M, Babel W, Seifert J. Oral administration of (14)C labeled gelatin hydrolysate leads to an accumulation of radioactivity in cartilage of mice (C57/BL). J Nutr 1999; 129:1891-5
  3. Oesser S, Seifert J. Stimulation of type II collagen biosynthesis and secretion in bovine chondrocytes cultured with degraded collagen. Cell Tissue Res 2003;311:393-9
  4. Oesser S, Seifert J. Impact of collagen fragments on the synthesis and degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of cartilage tissue. Orthopaedische Praxis 2005:565-8
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  22. Lubis AMT, Siagian C, Wonggokusuma E, Marsetyo AF, Setyohadi B. Comparison of Glucosamine-Chondroitin Sulfate with and without Methylsulfonylmethane in Grade I-II Knee Osteoarthritis: A Double Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. Acta Med Indones. 2017 Apr;49(2):105-111. PMID: 28790224.
  23. https://www.turmipuregold.com/our-science/pharmacokinetic-study/
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  25. Henrotin Y, Malaise M, Wittoek R, de Vlam K, Brasseur JP, Luyten FP, Jiangang Q, Van den Berghe M, Uhoda R, Bentin J, De Vroey T, Erpicum L, Donneau AF, Dierckxsens Y. Bio-optimized Curcuma longa extract is efficient on knee osteoarthritis pain: a double-blind multicenter randomized placebo controlled three-arm study. Arthritis Res Ther. 2019 Jul 27;21(1):179. doi: 10.1186/s13075-019-1960-5. PMID: 31351488; PMCID: PMC6661105.
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  27. Wang SJ, Wang YH, Huang LC. The effect of oral low molecular weight liquid hyaluronic acid combination with glucosamine and chondroitin on knee osteoarthritis patients with mild knee pain: An 8-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Feb 5;100(5):e24252. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000024252. PMID: 33592868; PMCID: PMC7870173.
  28. Sailer ER, Subramanian LR, Rall B, et al. Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA): structure requirements or binding and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitory activity. Br J Pharmacol. 1996;117:615–618. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1996.tb15235.x.
  29. https://www.plthealth.com/product-catalog/apresflex
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  31. Menon P, Perayil J, Fenol A, Rajan Peter M, Lakshmi P, Suresh R. Effectiveness of ginger on pain following periodontal surgery - A randomized cross-over clinical trial. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2021;12(1):65-69. doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2020.05.003
  32. Wilson, P. B. (2015). Ginger (Zingiber officinale) as an Analgesic and Ergogenic Aid in Sport. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 29(10), 2980–2995. doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000001098
  33. Heidari-Beni M, Moravejolahkami AR, Gorgian P, Askari G, Tarrahi MJ, Bahreini-Esfahani N. Herbal formulation "turmeric extract, black pepper, and ginger" versus Naproxen for chronic knee osteoarthritis: A randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2020 Aug;34(8):2067-2073. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6671. Epub 2020 Mar 16. PMID: 32180294.
  34. Lugo JP, Saiyed ZM, Lau FC, Molina JPL, Pakdaman MN, Shamie AN, Udani JK (2013) Undenatured type II collagen (UC-II (R)) for joint support: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-48
  35. Barnett ML, Kremer JM, St Clair EW, Clegg DO, Furst D, Weisman M, Fletcher MJ, Chasan-Taber S, Finger E, Morales A, Le CH, Trentham DE. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with oral type II collagen. Results of a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Arthritis Rheum. 1998;41(2):290–7.
  36. Barnett ML, Combitchi D, Trentham DE. A pilot trial of oral type II collagen in the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1996;39(4):623–8.
  37. Trentham DE. Evidence that type II collagen feeding can induce a durable therapeutic response in some patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1996;778:306–14.
  38. Crowley DC, Lau FC, Sharma P, et al. Safety and efficacy of undenatured type II collagen in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a clinical trial. Int J Med Sci. 2009;6(6):312-321. Published 2009 Oct 9. doi:10.7150/ijms.6.312
  39. Veronese N, La Tegola L, Mattera M, Maggi S, Guglielmi G. Vitamin D Intake and Magnetic Resonance Parameters for Knee Osteoarthritis: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Calcif Tissue Int. 2018 Nov;103(5):522-528. doi: 10.1007/s00223-018-0448-7. Epub 2018 Jun 25. PMID: 29943188.
  40. Sanghi D., Mishra A., Sharma A.C., Singh A., Natu S.M., Agarwal S., Srivastava R.N. Does vitamin D improve osteoarthritis of the knee: A randomized controlled pilot trial. Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. 2013;471:3556– doi: 10.1007/s11999-013-3201-6.