Question:
I’ve been coping with pain in my musculoskeletal system for years, especially my tendon attachments in my upper arm appear to be chronically. Recently I was made aware of the existence of glucosamine. Does glucosamine also help against chronic tendonitis.
Answer:
Our supplements have a proven effect on osteoarthritis (wear of cartilage in the joints). Unfortunately, there is little evidence for an effect in tendonitis, and we therefore have little evidence from daily practice.
An exception is bursitis, an inflammation in the shoulder. Glucosamine and Arthro-5 (with glucosamine as an ingredient) are often effective. But for other tendonitis symptoms the supplements won’t do much.
Question:
My husband has been coping with problems for 4 years. Now, finally x-rays have been made and it turns out that he has a mild form of wear (osteoarthritis) in both hips, left a bit more than the right. Earlier he was told that it absolutely wasn’t wear at all! If we only knew this sooner. He’s only 57 and we still love to go out with our backpacks and tent.
Lately I hear a lot about glucosamine, but I also hear that fish oil may help with these issues. Which one do you recommend to try? According to our physician nothing works, but we’d like to stay active for some time and preferably with less symptoms.
Answer:
There’s definitely something you can do about osteoarthritis. Fish oil in high doses has a positive effect on the joints, but with osteoarthritis its effect is not strong enough. You can better opt for glucosamine, that has very satisfying results with two out of three people with osteoarthritis. Existing wear not recover through, but further wear will significantly be inhibited, the agility improves and the pain often decreases.
Usually, a period of three months (one jar), is sufficient enough to determine whether or not it works; it takes several weeks – sometimes – a even a few months before you’ll notice improvements. For a stronger effect, glucosamine can be supplemented with the chondroitin product.
In the event glucosamine (and chondroitin) is insufficient, then there’s another alternative called Arthro-5 which is stronger. But this is a more expensive product and it requires a higher dosage of 6 capsules a day (that have to be taken all at once).
Question:
I have a lot of joint pain. Especially in my knees and fingers. I’ve read that Arthro-5 is a good solution for this problem. However, I have a thyroid disorder and take 1.50 mg of Thyrax every day. Can I also combine this with Arthro?
Answer:
If Arthro-5 can help is hard to say in advance. That depends on the nature of symptoms of the joints. If it’s osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) then the chances of success are pretty good, if it’s arthritis (joint inflammation), then the probability of success is much smaller. Has the diagnose already been made? By the way, even if it’s osteoarthritis its effect is not guaranteed. Chances are great, but everyone reacts differently. So only by trying it out, preferably 2 to 3 months, you can find out for sure.
There is no interaction known of the ingredients in Arthro-5 combined with thyrax (after absorption of the body). However, it seems like a good idea to me to hold a 4-hour time interval between ingestion of the drug and the supplement. The absorption of Thryax can be quite easily be disrupted.
Question:
I’ve been ordering glucosamine and chondroitin from you for some time. Recently I read something about undenatured collagen type II. This would also yield good results for people with osteoarthritis. Are you familiar with this and will/can you implement this in your product assortment as well.
Answer:
Much is written lately about Undenatured Collagen Type II. It seems that this product may have a beneficial effect on joint problems. But the same goes for more products, such as SAM-e.
At the moment we don’t have any plans to include Collagen Type II as an extra product in our assortment. We would like to see some more scientific evidence first, and moreover it is quite pricey (if it’s indeed high quality material). But the most important consideration is of a practical nature. We’re already getting regular complaints from customers who can’t see the forest for the trees. Should they take glucosamine, or chondroitin, or ASU Forte, or Arthro-5? There are already too many choices for them. Adding Collagen Type II would only complicate that problem even more.
A possible solution is to include Collagen Type II as an extra ingredient in Arthro-5 (which would become Arthro-6). At the moment we don’t think it’s an option. Arthro-5 would then also get a lot more expensive, already some customers think the price is too high, and the amount of capsules would increase as well. Currently some people think 6 capsules is already more than enough. That could eventually lead to customers dropping off, or not following instructions (taking less capsules), so the Collagen Type II would be less effective. Furthermore every extra ingredient would increase the chance of side effects.
For us it’s important that Arthro-5 is already very complete product, and therefore very effective. It’s sufficient to treat most symptoms.
However, we’ll surely keep an eye on the product for the future. Thanks for your suggestion.
Question:
I ordered the Omega 3 product. I still have a question about the product: is the oil purified according to the EFP™ (Environmentally Friendly Purified) method? I have read all the information about the Omega 3 of your product. But I do not know if that is checked by an independent institution. Could you elaborate on this question?
Answer:
The ‘Environmentally Friendly Purified™’ method you mention is followed by a trademark symbol (™). That means that this is not a generally accepted method of purification, but a marketing tool for the company that handles and came up with this method.
I read on the internet that EFP™ is referred to as a process that guarantees the purity, and therefore the safety of the product as a dietary supplement. The choice of the name of the method is a bit strange in that regard. The name of the method implies that the production method is good for the environment.
I see also a study in which EFP™ fish oil is used. It turns out to be a supplement with ethyl-EPA! Ethyl-EPA is an ethyl ester of the fish fatty acid EPA. That’s not an oil anymore. Oil consists of so called triglycerides. A triglyceride consists in its turn of three fatty acid chains that are connected to a glycerol molecule. An ethyl ester supplement can technically not be called a fish oil. It is a highly chemically processed form of fish oil.
The effect of ethyl esters on health is questioned. It’s harder for the body to process these than natural oils. In some European countries ethyl esters are (or were not permitted in food. I do not know whether the European unification regarding food laws has changed this.
Our Omega-3 is of the Marinoil brand. This is known as extremely pure. Every year we check our products for contamination since 2006 by an independent laboratory, and every time the results are exquisite. The results can always be requested by email.
Question:
My Bernese Mountain dog is 5 years old. In her first year she started limping when I took her for a walk. By means of keyhole surgery they’ve removed the cartilage in the (knee) joint of her left front leg. Now she begins to limp again. My vet recommends not to re-operate because she could get arthritis within a year otherwise.
I want to know if your glucosamine medication may be a solution for her. She is not in pain because that’s already been determined by the vet. On walks she limps on some days, but then after awhile she walks normal again. I would like to know your thoughts on this.
Answer:
Many larger pedigree dogs suffer from dysplasia of the joints. Over time, usually arthritis will occur from it. Our experience (from customer feedback) is that dogs with dysplasia and/or arthritis often benefit greatly from glucosamine. I estimate that 90% of dogs will feel noticeably better. They walk easier, get up faster and the total time they are actively increases.
A big dog from about 35 kilograms may use two capsules of glucosamine per day.
Some dog owners give the dog supplemental chondroitin. This can slow down the progression of osteoarthritis and improve the load capacity.
Question:
Since early this year, I suddenly get pretty progressive rheumatoid arthritis in my fingers. Soon I’ll be 77 years old. Some knuckles are thickening and the finger in question is bending. It is increasingly painful when I touch it, and when dressing it hurts as well. I’m no longer able to make a fist and household tasks are hindered.
My eye fell on Arthro-5 because it may help with osteoarthritis. Does it really work? Whatever the case, conventional medicine does not offer a solution for rheumatoid arthritis.
Answer:
Arthro-5 is designed to treat osteoarthritis (joint deterioration).Whether it works for rheumatoid arthritis (joint inflammation) is difficult to say. Little research has been done regarding it. I think that if it does work, it won’t be very effective.
Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by inflammation. What could work are the measures that bring down the overall level of inflammation. These include the following:
– Lots of exercise and being outdoors.
– No sugar and refined carbohydrate food (white bread, white rice)
– Do not eat too many carbohydrates (starches and sugars) in general.
– Eat lots of vegetables.
– No fruit juice but only fruit (not too much).
– Definitely do not use margarine or ‘cook and baking products’ other than olive oil, butter and coconut oil.
– Grass Butter is better than ordinary butter and regular butter in its turn (much) better than margarine.
– Eat ‘ready-made’ food as little as possible.
– If you eat bread, preferably eat wholegrain bread (better for the intestinal flora). Unless you can not tolerate this kind of bread.
Fatty fish or fish oil capsules provide building blocks for the anti-inflammatory ‘prostaglandins’ in the body. High doses of fish oil have been tested with some success in rheumatoid arthritis. Think of 8 capsules of 1,000 mg. High dosages like that can best be taken under doctor’s supervision. A lower dosage of 4 capsules is probably a better long-term strategy. Our fish oil capsules can be found here.
Keep in mind which foods you don’t tolerate well. Intolerance to certain foods kindles inflammation. After having used ibuprofen for years there’s a good chance that your intestines have weakened and that you are no longer able to tolerate certain foods.
Some people with rheumatoid arthritis benefit from the complete omission of certain foods. The best known triggers are cereals and milk. I believe that coffee and chocolate can sometimes be problematic as well.
1,000 units of vitamin D daily supplement (at a later age the production of vitamin D by the sun isn’t that easy anymore). Our natural multivitamin contains 1,000 units of vitamin D.
Maintain a good sleeping pattern. Being outside during the day contributes positively to this.
I hope this information is useful to you.
Question:
For several years I’ve been coping with my neck that stiffens up occasionally. Pain, stiffness of the fingers and fluid accumulation in the fingers is the result of this. Once my neck is treated again, the symptoms disappear. Treated by an osteopath, which helps for a few months, but then my neck falls back into some a kind of ‘lock’ state again. What can I use best?
Answer:
The ‘locking’ of the neck may be due to several reasons. Depending on the nature of the cause, our supplements may or may not provide relief. With many people, it’s due to a thinning of the intervertebral discs (osteoarthritis). This allows the vertebrae to move closer to each other and may cause all sorts of secondary symptoms.
We have seen that glucosamine in combination with chondroitin (or the supplement Arthro-5) may decrease the symptoms as a result of spinal osteoarthritis. We especially see this in people that have this issue in their lower back. We don’t have enough feedback from people who suffer from this problem in the neck.
In case of osteoarthritis in the neck it will result in very complex pain symptoms because a lot of muscles are involved. The sagging of the vertebrae causes muscles to develop a higher base tension. Tense muscles are a source of pain and pinching symptoms.
Unfortunately you need a lot of patience. With spinal osteoarthritis in the lower back the decrease in symptoms are usually noticeable after a year!
Question:
I’m the owner of a five year old Golden Retriever. Occasionally she limps on one of her front legs. After taking a few steps she walks normal again. I also walk about 2 to 3 hours a day (about a dozen kilometres).
The vet says it could be osteoarthritis and recommends glucosamine (no harm, no foul). Opinions about effectiveness often differ. My understanding is that a 1,500 mg dosage is for adult humans. My dog weighs 28 kg, so what would the proper dosage be? Could an excess be harmful?
Some websites talk about a scoop of 4 grams per day! And only the sulfate variant would work, is it regarding this form? How about combining it with chondroitin?
Answer:
We sell the glucosamine in sulfate form. Glucosamine sulfate works very well for most dogs. Within a few months you’ll notice whether this works or not because the stiffness of your dog will disappear if it does work.
Our experience is that for a dog of about 28 kg it is usually sufficient to give 1 glucosamine sulfate capsule per day. This may be increased to 2 capsules. However, at this stage one capsule is probably sufficient.
Chondroitin may be combined. It especially helps to slow down the progress of cartilage wear. Glucosamine does this as well, but the combination works better in this case. Flexibility and pain don’t seem to improve much with chondroitin (as determined in humans). One chondroitin capsule a day is sufficient.
Question:
Already I’ve been taking vitamin D. Do I still need to take that aside from Natural Multi, which also has vitamin D? Is there a sufficient amount in it?
Answer:
Natural Multi has mild doses. But not when it comes to vitamin D. That has a high dosage in Natural Multi (and in the correct D3 form instead of D2, and oil based for better absorption).
Vitamin D3 is precisely the vitamin which most people have a shortage of, and the RDV is too low. By only taking in 100% of the RDV of vitamin D via food and no additional UVB rays from the sun, the vitamin D3 level remains too low in the body.
Because the production of vitamin D from sunlight is much worse later in life, taking additional ample amounts of vitamin D is not a luxury.
So when you use Natural Multi, another vitamin D supplement is no longer necessary.
