Arthritis and Increasing the Effectivenes of Glucosamine

If you’ve tried glucosamine and chrondroitin for relief of arthritis pain and rebuilding of the cartilage in the joints with limited success, you might find the following to be beneficial.

Bromelain, which is found in pineapple, works as a digestive aid, is used in some meat tenderizers and can help the assimilation of glucosamine and chondroitin. Bromelain is a plant enzyme and works synergistically with glucosamine in the same manner as it does when used as a meat tenderizer. Bromelain breaks up the large molecules of glucosamine into smaller, more easily absorbed, molecules. These smaller molecules can then enter the cartilage and joints more easily, helping to relieve pain and rebuild cartilage. It works the same with chondroitin. Pineapple, because of its bromelain, has been used for years by athletic trainers for the relief and prevention of sports injuries. Bromelain also assists the body in getting rid of compounds, known as the immune antigen complex, that have been implicated in arthritis conditions. Fibrin , another compound suspected of being involved in some types of arthritis, is digested by bromelain and removed from the body by the organs of elimination.

Bromelain is also a powerful pain reliever and anti-inflammatory. People who take bromelain, or eat lots of pineapple, experience less swelling, reduced tenderness and not as much pain than those who don’t. Turmeric, a spice that many of us know very little about, also helps relive pain and other arthritis symptoms. I sprinkle turmeric on my brown rice and believe there’s more to it than just the placebo effect.

Ginger has been used as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever for centuries. Ginger has been shown to be a potent COX-2 inhibitor, like the prescription drugs Celebrex® and Vioxx® but without the side effects. I used ginger, and garlic cloves, to relieve pain after having some faulty dental work done. I found ginger worked as well as garlic without the obvious, bad breath, side effect. Ginger has also been proven to be an effective immune system moderator and that could be beneficial in rheumatoid arthritis by calming an overreactive immune system response, as well as being a pain reliever and assisting in lowering swelling.

Cayenne pepper is another food that has been used for centuries to relieve pain, both when taken internally and applied topically.