As we age, supporting hip and joint health becomes more and more important, but when we age to the point where we need joint support supplements, we don’t always want to admit it to ourselves. However, studies have found that the sooner you improve your diet and/or take supplements and nutrients, the more likely you are to avoid problems.
Is it possible to start taking supplements too early? What kind of supplements should you take? Let’s take a look.
Great supplements are the key to better joint health
The most important thing to protect your joints and hips is probably to start taking more supplements like:
Undenatured Type 2 Collagen, or, UC-II for short. This natural substance is derived from chicken sternum cartilage and has been made into capsules and used as a supplement by manufacturers in pure concentrations.
Simply put, UC-II is necessary to build cartilage, this soft, stretchy tissue can lubricate and cushion your joints. They even use UC-II to make hip and joint snacks for dogs, and many pet owners notice big changes in their dogs’ activity levels just a few weeks after starting the supplement. Studies have also shown that supplementation can reduce the risk of many bones- and joint-related diseases.
MSM, or methylsulfonylmethane, consists of 34% sulfur, which is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body. Sulfur maintains the health of joints, ligaments, tendons, and other connective tissues. MSM also helps with muscle recovery.
Start taking supplements in your 30s and 40s
Generally speaking, most people reach their hormonal and nutritional peaks around 25 and 30 years of age. At this point, one must start paying close attention to your diet to delay the harmful effects of aging. There is a certain amount of UC-II in everyone’s body, but the levels will decrease as you get older.
Unless you are supplementing and/or eating a diet high in MSM and UC-II, when you are near or over 35 years old, you will no doubt start to experience joint pain from time to time. This is because we begin to need higher levels of UC-II to maintain healthy cartilage.
Get more nutrients in through your diet
If you do not like supplements or want to increase your UC-II uptake, there are foods with undenatured Type 2 collagen. Chicken contains a lot of cartilage which is rich in UC-II. The pieces of edible cartilage in chickens are the best example.
However, eating them might be a challenge because they are sometimes too hard. You can resort to boiling them in a broth if you want. The broth would contain cartilage fragments which when ingested would increase UC-II levels.
Adequate hydration is extremely important
Finally, don’t forget that getting enough water is also important for maintaining joint health, as it can lubricate cartilage and tendons. A dry body is always more prone to injury, and dehydration almost always causes joint inflammation. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to drink 15 cups of water per day if you are male, and 11 cups of water per day if you are female.
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