Today we are going to talk about Earth MD’s Joint Care formula with a breakdown of the ingredients. Our formula is different from other powdered and liquid joint supplements because we take a slightly different approach, tackling joint inflammation as well as slowing cartilage degradation. Most joint supplements contain a variable mixture of glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM. These ingredients are excellent for maintaining and recovering joint health and suppressing joint pain and have, in fact, been shown to be more effective when used together [1]. Our supplement does include glucosamine and MSM; the difference is that instead of using chondroitin, we include shark cartilage. Keep reading to find out why!

MSM: What does it do for joint health?

MSM is an excellent supplement for joints that are degenerating, or to prevent them from deteriorating. Many autoimmune diseases create free radicals in the body that attack healthy cells. With these diseases the body’s immune system begins to see its own tissue as an “enemy” and attempts to destroy it. MSM has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities that help protect the joints from this effect [2]. It has been shown to decrease cartilage degeneration in auto-immune diseases, such as arthritis [1].

Glucosamine: what is it and why is it good for joints?

Glucosamine inhibits degradation of cartilage by preventing synthesis of harmful compounds in joints [3]. This result is amplified when combined with chondroitin. The beneficial effects of glucosamine on arthritis and joint health are well documented, even in humans. With its mild anti-inflammatory capabilities, it can also help reduce joint pain. Many pet owners and people call glucosamine magical because its effectiveness at aiding damaged joints. Chiusaroli et al. demonstrated that the area on the joint affected by arthritis decreased while the number of healthy cartilage cells increased when patients were given glucosamine [4]. This effect went up with the more glucosamine administered.

Wait, there’s Shark Cartilage in the formula??

Do not worry, the cartilage was not obtained using unethical means! The sharks are farmed for meat and the cartilage is obtained afterwards, so it is no different than farming other fish. The reason that people have a negative connotation regarding shark cartilage is because of shark fin soup. Poachers catch sharks in the wild, remove their fins and leave them like this. This is NOT the type of shark fishing we support! Now, to talk about the benefits of shark cartilage. The chondroitin in shark cartilage is more bioavailable than isolated chondroitin sulfate, which means more will be available for your pet to use. Also, shark cartilage has been demonstrated by several studies to prevent the growth of new blood vessels into arthritic joints [5,7]. This is very important because that function has been shown to decrease and even reverse arthritis and pain (and tumours!) [6,7].

Our Joint Care supplement also includes burdock root, which is a natural anti-inflammatory to ease joint pain. A lot of joint pain has to do with inflammation. When cartilage starts to break down it becomes irritated and rough. This bumpiness creates more inflammation through rubbing action in the joints and slowly wears away the cartilage. The burdock root helps take away some of this inflammation to reduce pain.

And there you have it, our Earth MD joint Care supplement ingredients explained!

[1] Randomised, Double-Blind, Parallel, Placebo-Controlled Study of Oral Glucosamine, Methylsulfonylmethane and their Combination in Osteoarthritis, https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00044011-200424060-00005

[2] Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), http://www.altmedrev.com/archive/publications/8/4/438.pdf

[3] Inhibition of articular cartilage degradation by glucosamine‐HCl and chondroitin sulphate, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2002.tb05423.x

[4] Experimental Pharmacology of Glucosamine Sulfate, https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijr/2011/939265/abs/

[5] Angiogenic inhibitor protein fractions derived from shark cartilage, http://www.bioscirep.org/content/28/1/15.abstract

[6] AN GTOGENESIS Implications for Rheumatoid Arthritis, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/1529-0131%28199806%2941%3A6%3C951%3A%3AAID-ART2%3E3.0.CO%3B2-D

[7] Angiogenesis as a target in rheumatoid arthritis, https://ard.bmj.com/content/62/suppl_2/ii60.short