Bone and Joint Matters, Part 3

“Nothing looks as good as healthy feels. ”

— Unknown

This Joint is Jumpin’

The past few weeks we have discussed bone health.  This week we will focus on joint health, specifically musculoskeletal conditions that impact approximately 1.71 billion people worldwide.

Musculoskeletal diseases affect more than one out of every two persons in the United States age 18 and over, and nearly three out of four age 65 and over. Trauma, back pain, and arthritis are the three most common musculoskeletal conditions reported, and for which health care visits to physicians’ offices, emergency departments, and hospitals occur each year. 

Musculoskeletal conditions comprise more than 150 conditions that affect the locomotor system of individuals. They range from those that arise suddenly and are short-lived, such as fractures, sprains, and strains, to lifelong conditions associated with ongoing functioning limitations and disability. Although the prevalence of major musculoskeletal conditions increases with age, they are not just conditions of older age. Regional pain conditions, low back and neck pain, musculoskeletal injury sequelae and inflammatory arthritides commonly affect children, adolescents, and middle-aged people. 

Musculoskeletal conditions are typically characterized by pain (often persistent) and limitations in mobility, dexterity, and overall level of functioning, reducing people’s ability to work. Musculoskeletal conditions include conditions that affect:

• joints, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis (a type of chronic, inflammatory arthritis that mainly affects the spine). 

• bones, such as osteoporosis, osteopenia, and associated fragility fractures, traumatic fractures.

• muscles, such as sarcopenia (the loss of muscle mass and strength that occurs with aging).

• the spine, such as back and neck pain.

• multiple body areas or systems, such as regional and widespread pain disorders and inflammatory diseases such as connective tissue diseases and vasculitis that have musculoskeletal manifestations, for example, systemic lupus erythematosus.

The cost of treating major musculoskeletal diseases often includes long-term pain and disability, is greater than for treatment of many other common health conditions. Yet research dollars to identify causes, create new treatments, and reduce pain and disability remain much lower than that of other health conditions. With the aging of the US population, musculoskeletal diseases are becoming a greater burden every year. 

Musculoskeletal conditions are also the highest contributor to the global need for rehabilitation. They are among the largest contributors to the need for rehabilitation services among children and account for approximately two-thirds of all adults in need of rehabilitation.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder. OA occurs when the cartilage between two joints wears down, so the bones rub together, resulting in swelling and stiffness.

Natural Solutions for Joint Problems

Many natural products have purported anti-inflammatory properties, and some have a long history of use for treating inflammation and the pain that is associated with musculoskeletal inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and tendinitis. One compound cetyl myristoleate (CM) researched by Dr. Harry Diehl, has been the subject of several clinical trials.

The story behind Dr. Diehl’s discovery is an interesting one. Harry W. Diehl, Ph.D. is best known for his research into arthritis pain relief, during which he discovered the chemical compound, Cetyl Myristoleate (CM). 

Dr. Diehl worked for the prestigious, National Institutes of Health (NIH) for over 40 years. During this tenure, he became concerned about a neighbor’s pain and disability from rheumatoid arthritis. Diehl was a deeply religious man whose feelings overwhelmed him as his friend’s condition worsened. Harry thought, “Here I am working for the US Government at the National Institutes of Health, and I have never seen anything that was good for curing arthritis.” He decided to take the initiative to embark on a search for something to relieve the pain and disability of his neighbor and the millions of people who suffer from arthritis.

As a researcher, Diehl knew that finding an answer for arthritis first meant experimentally inducing the disease in research animals. He started with mice and quickly realized that he was unable to induce arthritis in the animals. Diehl tried every way he could to give mice arthritis, however, they would not display arthritic changes. He contacted a fellow researcher in California who wrote to him, “If you or anyone else can give mice arthritis, I want to know about it, because mice are 100% immune to arthritis.” At that moment, Diehl’s research and scientific instincts told him that what he wanted was already somewhere in those mice.

Utilizing thin layer chromatography to analyze the compounds present in mouse joints, Diehl noticed a mysterious compound. It was a long, tedious job, but Diehl finally found, isolated, and identified the extract. It was cetyl myristoleate (CM) – and it protected mice from arthritis. Now having isolated the compound, Dr. Diehl went about molecular recreation of it. Harry had learned to make it in the laboratory. Cetyl Myristoleate could be made synthetically by chemically combining cetyl alcohol, with myristollic acid and he found that this synthesized form of Cetyl Myristoleate was just as effective in providing rats immunity to experimentally induced arthritis as the naturally occurring form (extracted from mice).

WHAT DOES CETYL MYRISTOLEATE DO?

Through clinical studies, CM has been found to have no fewer than four main beneficial properties:

1) Joint Lubrication – Consistent use of CM appears to stimulate lubrication of the joints. One of the most noted effects of CM treatment is a loss of/decrease in morning stiffness.

2) Anti-Inflammatory – With as little as two to three weeks of treatment with CM, patients have experienced a lessening of the swelling in their hands and feet.

3) Immunomodulator – CM functions as an immunomodulator. Simply put, it can help regulate or stabilize hyper-immune responses. In addition to people suffering from joint conditions, those with autoimmune diseases may experience relief when CM is included in their treatment.

4) Discomfort Relief – CM’s effect on reducing discomfort appears to go together with its anti-inflammatory qualities. A decrease in inflammation will lead to a decrease in associated discomfort.

THE REAL DIEHL

Nikken is proud to offer two products containing cetyl myristoleate. Nikken Kenzen® Joint formula and CM Complex Cream for relief from joint issues that are endorsed by the estate of Dr. Harry Diehl.  

Kenzen® Joint 

The High Potency CM Complex in Kenzen®  Joint is an advanced formulation that nutritionally supports collagen, bone, and connective tissue repair. This formula has a high concentration of cetyl myristoleate and combines this with glucosamine, methylsulfonylmethane, and compounds from the Boswellia plant, which has long been used in Ayurvedic and other complementary practices. * Cetyl myristoleate possesses natural surfactant and lubricant properties, in support of the smooth joint movement.*

HOW TO USE
Take 3 soft gels daily, preferably one with each meal. If desired, increase the daily dose to 3 soft gels twice daily until desired effects have been achieved, then reduce to 3 soft gels daily.

CM Complex Cream 

Relief from surface soreness is essential for good health as well as comfort. It allows for greater mobility and can help improve the quality of life at any age. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or just a weekend warrior, Nikken CM Complex Cream can help soothe the discomfort that comes from living an active life. CM Complex is endorsed by the estate of Dr. H. W. Diehl, the National Institutes of Health researcher who discovered cetyl myristoleate.

How to Use

Apply as needed. For external use only. As plant-derived materials, these compounds offer a natural alternative to synthetic chemical preparations. The formulation has a pleasant, greaseless feel, without strong odor or staining on application.
The 4-ounce tube provides a generous supply of CM cream. This is also excellent for many other uses such as burns, bug bites, especially mosquito bites, and any inflammation that a topical cream is indicated. 

Healthy bones and joints are important to an Active Wellness lifestyle. Nikken has solutions to help us all Be Healthy by Choice. 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Healthy Bones Matter

“The greatest medicine of all is to teach people how not to need it.”

Bone and Joint Matters

One aspect of health that is often misunderstood or ignored is bone health. The skeletal system is the body’s second-largest organ consisting of 206 bones in adults. Many people perceive our bones as a static, rigid structure when the exact opposite is true. Our bones are a dynamic organ that is a state of constant renewal and rebuilding. This is called bone remodeling and through this process, we replace our entire skeletal structure every 10 years or about seven to eight times in our lifetime.

The skeleton serves many physical and physiological functions. It provides structural support, movement, and protective armor for our vital organs. The bones are the site for the production of red blood cells to deliver oxygen to our cells and produce white blood cells for a healthy immune system.  Recent advances point to the skeleton as an endocrine organ that modulates glucose tolerance and testosterone production by secretion of a bone-specific protein, osteocalcin.

Our bones are the mineral bank for our entire body. All vital organs and tissues require minerals to be released from the bones daily. Our body’s organs receive calcium from the bones.  For example, the heart needs 100 mg of bone calcium a day for steady beats. The brain needs 150 mg of bone calcium to keep sharp and our intestines require 600 to 900 mg of bone calcium daily.

Through the process of bone remodeling minerals are released from old bone by specialized cells called osteoclasts, and new bone is replaced by bone builder cells, osteoblasts. Good bone health is a balance of this resorption of older bone and formation of new bone for stable and strong bones. Healthy bones are vital to our joints and our whole body.

Regardless of age, we all need to keep our bones healthy. Children continue to build bone mass as they grow.  Bone mineral density peaks between the ages of 20 and 30. Up to the age of 30, the body makes new bone faster than it breaks down old bone, so bone mass increases. After that, the pace of healthy bone formation slows down so that more bone is lost than formed. This decrease in bone density results in weaker bones that are more susceptible to fracture. Maintaining bone health becomes more challenging and critical as we grow older for a variety of reasons.

The main issue in this decrease in bone density is directly correlated with calcium and the body’s ability to absorb and utilize dietary calcium which diminishes with age.

Osteoporosis is a Global Disease

According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporotic fracture. In fact, a bone will break every 3 seconds because of this disease. This has an enormous human and socio-economic impact. Many people don’t know they have osteoporosis until their first fracture, which is why it’s called the ‘silent disease’. Osteoporosis is estimated to affect 200 million people globally, with 55% of people over 50 currently at increased risk of fracture due to low bone mass.

You will not fall and break your bone

You will break your bone ...and fall

Osteoporosis is a silent disease because we do not perceive our bones weakening. Breaking a bone is often the first sign of loss of bone density or osteoporosis.  Osteoporotic bone breaks are most likely to occur in the hip, spine, or wrist, but other bones can break too. Twenty percent of seniors who break a hip die within one year from complications related to the broken bone or the surgery to repair it. Many require long-term nursing home care.

While our bones naturally age as we do, there are things you can do to prevent osteoporosis and joint problems regardless of age.

Natural ways to help your Bones and Joints

• Exercise, particularly anything that uses your body's weight to move, can help build strong bones. I suggest walking, jogging, or dancing.

• Get some sunshine, at least 20 minutes a day for Vitamin D

• Eat the right foods. Green leafy vegetables are calcium-rich and alkalizing. Greens give you calcium but are also good sources of vitamin k, potassium, and other minerals and nutrients needed for healthy bones.

• Avoid sodas and carbonated beverages. Limit caffeinated beverages and alcohol.

• Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. Bones are 25 to 30% water. Being hydrated is one of the best things you can do for bone and joint health.

• Supplementation

We need to supplement our bodies with minerals, they are essential, we do not make them. However, no matter how much calcium we consume from calcium-rich foods such as yogurt, milk, and green leafy vegetables, or by nutritional supplements, such as Nikken’s excellent Kenzen® Calcium Complex, the most important aspects are absorption and utilization. If the body doesn’t absorb calcium, the bones cannot utilize it and be fortified. Nikken’s Kenzen BDZ™ is a giant step in rectifying this dilemma. Kenzen BDZ™ provides a unique and scientifically validated formula for calcium and other nutrients that are required for maintaining healthy bone structure, bone density, and calcium absorption, by combining three patented blends of nutrients.

Make healthy bones part of your self care routine and Be Healthy by Choice. This will be the subject of our next Healthy by Choice Master Class on Tuesday, August 4th. Please join us by clicking this link, The Self Care Awakening Classroom.

Be Healthy by Choice