Benefits
• Supports Healthy Joint Structure and Function*
Components of BioCell Collagen IIÒ
including collagen type II, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid (HA)
can enhance proteoglycans in the joint matrix, thereby providing support
for healthy joint function and maintaining joint shock absorption and
cushioning.
Chondroitin
Sulfate
Chondroitin has been well studied for its effects on
joint health. In a 1996 controlled, double-blind trial published in the
Journal of Rheumatology, 146 volunteers consumed chondroitin
sulfate daily for 6 months. Changes in joint function were measured
according to several clinical parameters and carefully analyzed. After the
first month, significant improvements were noted and maintained for three
months after the subjects stopped taking the chondroitin sulfate.1
In an earlier double-blind study subjects taking chondroitin sulfate had
improvements in joint function after three months of use, as determined by
both objective and subjective
measurements.2
In both studies, the benefits
lasted for weeks after subjects stopped taking chondroitin sulfate.
In another controlled study, 192 subjects took
chondroitin sulfate or a placebo daily for one year. At the end of the
trial, chondroitin sulfate maintained healthy joint cartilage thickness,
while those on placebo had decreased cartilage. Improvements in joint
function also occurred. The researchers reported that chondroitin exerted
a clear chondroprotective effect.3
Collagen Type II
A number of studies have also been conducted on the
administration of collagen type II to individuals that have various joint
issues. Much of this research has been conducted on animal models of
joint conditions while there are also studies showing the effectiveness of
oral collagen type II preparations in humans for maintenance of healthy
joints.
A randomized controlled trial conducted on 60 patients
with joint health issues in 1993 found that oral administration of chicken
collagen type II for 3 months led to a significant decrease in swollen and
tender joints in this group, as compared to no measurable improvement in
the placebo group. There were also no side effects seen with the
treatment.4 A second multicenter, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial in 274 individuals with joint issues was
published in 1998. The participants were given collagen type II orally
for 24 weeks. Positive effects of the treatment were noted while no
adverse effects were seen.5
A paper published in 2000 reviewed the literature to
assess the role of hydrolyzed collagen in joint and bone health. It was
found that hydrolyzed collagen when administered orally was able to
support joint health in most of the trials reviewed while the author
concluded that, “Its high level of safety makes it attractive as an agent
for long-term use.”6
Hyaluronic Acid
(HA)
Most of the
literature on hyaluronic acid and joint health deals with its intra-articular
use, or injections of HA directly into the joints. In this realm, there
is good evidence for the effects of HA on joint function.
A study was
conducted with injectable HA in individuals with TMJ (temporomandibular
joint) conditions. Participants received two injections, each one week
apart, or placebo injections with saline. In the HA group, the
researchers found decreased clicking sounds and increased function of the
joint at 1 month (90% of patients showed improvement) and 6 months (63%)
of follow-up, compared to about 26% of the placebo group showing
improvement at 6 months.7
A pair of
researchers also conducted a literature review of the trials using HA for
improving joint health that was published in 2005. Their findings
indicate a positive role for HA in modifying the structure of the joint
and slowing progressive deterioration of joint function and mobility.8
Hyaluronic acid seems to have a natural affinity for joint tissue, and is
therefore able to help support healthy joint structure and function.
• Supports Healthy Joint Structure and Function*
Hyaluronic
Acid and Collagen are both vital components of skin tissue. Both
compounds are known to decline with aging. Collagen is a vital structural
component of the skin. It is also one of the most important substances
required for proper skin barrier function and health. Collagen, as a
major component of the connective tissue, provides structural support,
increasing elasticity and tone of the skin.
In 1994,
researchers performed comparative measurements of hyaluronic acid levels
in the skin of young and elderly individuals. The researchers had
hypothesized that a major reason for the aged appearance of skin in the
elderly is a reduction of hyaluronic acid levels. What they found using
their methods is that there is a progressive reduction in the number of
hyaluronic acid granules in human skin with age, until a complete absence
of these granules was seen in individuals 60 years or older. These
variations in HA levels with age could, according to the researchers,
account for the decreased turgidity, wrinkled appearance and altered
elasticity of skin tissue.9 Further research was needed to
determine the effect of exogenously administered HA on the suppleness of
human skin.
In a
laboratory study conducted in 1998, researchers analyzed the effects of HA
given to live human skin cells. Whereas the cells on their own had a low
rate of renewal, hyaluronic acid added to the cells resulted in increased
proliferation of skin cells in the collagen matrix. This showed that
supplementing skin cells with HA caused a significant increase in the
ability of cells to go through the cell cycle.10 One of the
major benefits of this may be hyaluronic acid’s ability to continually
renew skin tissue to help maintain a youthful appearance of the skin.
|
