Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease in which the articular cartilage that cushions the ends of bones gradually thins and breaks down. As cartilage is lost, the underlying bone, the joint capsule, and the synovium are affected as well, which produces joint pain that worsens with activity, stiffness after sleep or rest, swelling, a reduced range of motion, and a sense of instability in the joint. It most commonly involves the knees, hips, hands, and spine. Osteoarthritis is distinct from rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease, and from gout, which is driven by uric acid crystals in the joint. It is diagnosed by a qualified clinician on the basis of the patient's history, a physical examination, and imaging, and its evaluation and management should be directed by a healthcare provider.
How Medical Foods Can Help
Iaomai offers two medical foods for the dietary management of osteoarthritis, EB-C5 and EB-A7, both intended for use under the supervision of a physician. EB-C5 provides turmeric curcumin, boswellia extract, and Bioperine. EB-A7 is a delayed release formula with six active ingredients: SAM-e, hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed type II collagen, turmeric curcumin, boswellia extract, and Bioperine. Hydrolyzed type II collagen and hyaluronic acid are naturally occurring constituents of cartilage and synovial fluid, and EB-A7 supplies them as dietary components. SAM-e is the body's principal methyl donor and is involved in methylation reactions. Turmeric curcumin and boswellia extract are plant compounds that nutrition research has investigated in relation to the body's inflammatory signaling pathways, and Bioperine, a black pepper extract, is included for its recognized role in curcumin absorption. Medical foods are not drugs and are not a substitute for the care your physician has prescribed; they are intended to address the nutritional component of a joint care plan your provider oversees.
Dietary Collagen Peptides
Hydrolyzed type II collagen, an ingredient in EB-A7, is a dietary source of the amino acids and peptides the body uses in connective tissue metabolism. Type II collagen is the same class of protein found in articular cartilage.
A Naturally Occurring Joint Constituent
Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in synovial fluid and cartilage, where it contributes to the fluid's viscosity. EB-A7 supplies it as a dietary component, taken by mouth under the supervision of a physician.
Nutrients Studied in Nutrition Research
Turmeric curcumin and boswellia extract, which are in both EB-C5 and EB-A7, and SAM-e, which is in EB-A7, have been investigated in nutrition research in relation to inflammatory signaling. Bioperine, a black pepper extract, is included for its recognized role in curcumin absorption.
Common Symptoms
- Joint pain that worsens with activity
- Morning stiffness lasting over 30 minutes
- Reduced range of motion
- Swelling and inflammation
- Joint instability
What Causes Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is generally understood to develop when the mechanical load a joint carries outpaces the capacity of its cartilage to maintain itself. Repetitive stress on a joint, a previous injury, excess body weight, joint misalignment, weakness in the muscles that stabilize the joint, genetics, and advancing age are all associated with its development. Within the joint, inflammatory mediators are involved in the release of enzymes that degrade collagen and proteoglycans, the structural components of the cartilage matrix, and the chondrocytes that build that matrix rebuild it more slowly than it is lost. Age-related changes in growth factor signaling and in the composition of synovial fluid are described as part of the same process, and osteoarthritis is associated with persistent low-grade inflammation in and around the joint. The cartilage matrix itself is composed largely of collagen, proteoglycans, and hyaluronic acid, which are continuously turned over by the ordinary connective tissue metabolism of the cells that reside within it.
“Dr. Hecker recommended a genetic test, which revealed a mutation in a gene. After a year on a supplement, my almost constant shin pain is nearly completely gone. I am back to running normally. Amazing knowledge of such a unique field of study.”
Individual experience. Results vary from person to person and are not typical or guaranteed. Testimonials describe one person's experience and are not evidence that any product will work for you. Iaomai Health products are medical foods for the dietary management of specific conditions, intended for use under the supervision of a physician.
Struggling with Osteoarthritis?
Our healthcare professionals can help you decide whether a medical food fits the dietary management of your condition, as part of a care plan they supervise.
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Explore how medical nutrition supports other related conditions that may co-occur or share similar underlying mechanisms.