There are so many different joint supplements on the market, the choice can be overwhelming. What is the best one?
We believe that it’s green lipped mussel extract. You may have heard of this extract as a popular natural remedy for arthritis and inflammation. But what actually makes it the best choice for joint pain?
In order to find out, let’s firstly take a look at why joints hurt.
What Causes the Pain in Your Joints?
Unfortunately, musculoskeletal issues are one of the most common health problems. Estimates say that they account for around 30-50% of doctor visits. If you’re like most people, you’ll find that as you age, your joints and cartilage wear down.
In a healthy joint, the cartilage (a fibrous and kind of elastic tissue) is smooth, and provides cushioning between the joints so that bones don’t grind together.
When the cartilage breaks down and wears away, the rubbing of the bones causes inflammation — pain, swelling, and loss of motion in the joint. Sometimes, the damage can be brought about by an injury to the joint. Other causes are osteoarthritis, and less common auto immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
However, regardless of the cause, joint pain is debilitating.
What is Needed to Cure Joint Pain?
As you can see, there’s not just one factor at play where joint pain is concerned. The degeneration of the cartilage needs to be stopped, the damage to the cartilage needs to be reversed, and the inflammation needs to be decreased.
Most of the natural supplements on the market can do one or two of these things — but not all. Green lipped mussel extract is an exception, and this is why we think it’s the best joint pain supplement.
What’s in Green Lipped Mussel Extract that’s so Beneficial?
Green lipped mussels have been called a natural wonder food because of the huge variety of nutrients they contain. A fascinating look at the mussel’s history reveals that New Zealand’s indigenous Maoris have traditionally eaten them raw and have remained remarkably pain free. But where do all the green lipped mussel benefits come from?
Glycosaminoglycans
The mussels contain 12% glycosaminoglycans. When looking at joint pain supplements you may have come across glucosamine, and even chondroitin sulfate. These are two common ingredients to improve joint cartilage. But how do they relate to glycosaminoglycans, and what functions do they perform?
Glucosamine is an amino acid that’s made by the body and is actually turned into glycosaminoglycans. The body uses glycosaminoglycans to form joint cartilage. Chondroitin is the most abundant glycosaminoglycan in cartilage. It helps the resilience of resiliency of cartilage and prevents enzyme action that destroy cartilage.
Therefore, by taking the mussel extract, you’re providing a boost to your body’s “building blocks” to improve the condition of your joint cartilage.
Okay, fair enough, you may be thinking. But why the mussel extract? Glucosamine and chondroitin are both available as supplements, so why not take them instead?
The reason is because of the combination of nutrients in the extract.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The mussels are also a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are renowned for their inflammation fighting properties. As mentioned above, lowering inflammation is imperative to treating joint pain.
When it comes to sources of omega-3s, green lipped mussels and oily fish are the two top ones. There’s a lot of debate over mussel oil vs fish oil, and which is the most effective supplement. However, the mussel extract has been scientifically proven to have the edge.
Why?
The extract is a potent source of a rare Omega-3 fatty acid called Eicosatetraenoic Acid (ETA).
All Omega 3 fatty acids have the ability to lower inflammation by inhibiting the body’s metabolic pathways involving enzymes known as lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase (also referred to as LOX and COX). These enzymes use Arachidonic acid (a form of omega-6 fatty acid) to make inflammatory compounds (leukotrienes and prostaglandins) in the body.
However, the mussel’s anti inflammatory effect works in a couple of additional ways, making it more powerful.
- ETA naturally functions at the gene level to reduce the production of cyclooxygenase.
- ETA also decreases the body’s formation of Arachidonic acid, meaning there is less of it available to be used in making inflammatory compounds. This happens by tying up the enzyme used to make Arachidonic acid — delta-5-desaturase (d5d).
Interestingly, d5d actually uses the ETA to make a product that’s beneficial to the body — EPA, the omega-3 found in common fish oil products! As long as d5d is occupied with making EPA, it can’t make Arachidonic acid.
[box type=”info”]As you can see, when the glycosaminoglycans and Eicosatetraenoic Acid in green lipped mussel extract work in conjunction with each other, you have a powerful combination for not only improving cartilage but treating inflammation — the main two issues related to joint pain.[/box]
Antioxidants
There are additional reasons why we think green lipped mussel extract is the best joint supplement. One of them is antioxidants.
Scientific research has found that the joint fluid extracted from inflamed joints contains a high concentration of free radicals, not present in the fluid from normal joints. These electronically unstable atoms or molecules can damage cells by stripping their electrons, in an effort become stable.
Most of these free radicals are caused by oxidative stress, which occurs naturally as cells use oxygen to create energy and life. Occasionally, an oxygen molecule with at least one unpaired electron is formed, giving it an electrical charge.
The antioxidants in green lipped mussel extract can help keep these free radicals in check by donating an electron to them.
The Best Green Lipped Mussel Extract to Take
Unfortunately, not all extracts are made equal. Due to the quality of the mussels and the manufacturing methods used, cheaper products are usually inferior products.
As explained in this brand comparison, we recommend Xtend-Life Green Lipped Mussel Powder as the purest and most potent extract on the market — and for the best value.
What’s also appealing about it is that you can try it absolutely RISK FREE, as Xtend-Life stand by all their products with a 100% money back guarantee.
Find out more about green lipped mussel extract in this FREE Buyer’s Guide.
