MYTH: You Need Expensive Supplements to Nourish Your Joints

Some joint problems are attributed to their increased levels of hyaluronic acid. A great deal of research has been done on hyaluronic acid. It is found in several areas of the body, not just in the synovial fluid of joints.

If you ever dissected a cow's eyeball in high school biology class you might recall that hyaluronic acid made up much of the runny Jell-O-Iike fluid inside the eyeball. Most of the research on hyaluronic acid, however, involves its use in the treatment of joint problems.

It is often injected into knee joints as a temporary treatment for osteoarthritis. Oral hyaluronic acid supplements are generally made from rooster combs, and a few have been shown to help in the treatment of arthritic joints-though they are quite expensive. These are the same compounds that can be found in bovine (cattle) and properly processed shark cartilage, either of which can help with the repair and protection of various joints throughout the body.

Other compounds are available to help reduce inflammation and pain. Ultimately, though, the goal should be restoration and healing of the joint itself. But you don't need expensive supplements to achieve these results.

Bone Broth Is the Best Source The "poor man's" joint supplement (and probably one of the most beneficial) is bone broth. Although obesity and a lack of exercise are obviously major contributing factors to the widespread osteoarthritis problems we see today, I feel a large part of the problem is also the fact that bone broths are no longer a part of our diet. I've investigated numerous "pure" hyaluronic acid supplements (and will continue to do so), but I have yet to find one that is superior to bone and joint broth. Preparing broths from the carcasses and joints of cattle, chickens, and fish, and incorporating them into your diet each day, can have a tremendous beneficial effect on your overall health. Much of the reason stems from the increased intake of hyaluronic acid-along with various minerals, proteins, and other compounds necessary for proper joint health. You can add vegetables or meat back into the broth for hearty soups or stews, and substitute the broth for chicken or beef stock in many recipes.

Bone broths are easy to make. You just need to keep a few minor points in mind. The ingredients are few and simple. Begin with bones from fish, poultry, beef, lamb, or pork. The bones can be raw or cooked, and they can be stripped of meat or still contain meat remnants and skin. (When making meat broth, I throw everything in the pot: bones, attached meat, skin-including the parts normally not eaten, such as the rib cage and spine, chicken feet, and fish heads.) Ideally, the animal should be raised organically, or at least naturally.

On the positive side (not from the animal's perspective, I'm sure), most animals raised for consumption don't live long enough to have large amounts of toxic metals accumulate in their tissues. Obviously, however, the better their environment, the less risk of you having to deal with such problems.

How to Make Your Own Broth Cover the bones with water in a covered pot. Add a couple of tablespoons of one of the following per quart of water: apple cider vinegar, red or white wine vinegar, or lemon juice. Gently stir and then let it sit for about 30 minutes to let the acid go to work. (1 recommend a pot made of either stainless steel or porcelain. I don't suggest aluminum because the acidic vinegar or lemon juice may cause aluminum to leach into the broth.) Then bring the water to a boil and immediately cut back to a slow, steady simmer. Cover and continue to simmer for 4 to 6 hours for fish, 6 to 8 hours for poultry, and 12 to 18 hours for the other types of bones. Keep a lid on the pot to avoid having to add water (but add water if and when necessary). A slow cooker works well since the temperature is generally low enough that the lid will keep in the steam and it won't require much attention.

However, I've found that slow cookers generally take longer than when I cook on the stove, so that's something you'll have to decide for yourself. If you want just the broth, strain the liquid through a colander and consume it immediately either by sipping it as a tea or soup, or making it into a gravy. Although I have never used it for such, the liquid can also be used to cook rice, beans, or grains. If you want to add vegetables, strain the liquid first and then add the vegetables for about the last 30 minutes. Feel free to add other items-such as salt, pepper, butter, or olive oil-to enhance the flavor. The broth can be stored in the refrigerator for about five days, or stored frozen for several months. (1 generally pour the cooled liquid into quart freezer bags and freeze those.

When I want some broth, I simply rip open the bag and reheat the broth in a pot.)

Note: Never cook or reheat the broth (or gelatin) in the microwave.

Certain amino acids may convert into forms that can be toxic to the body when microwaved. (Lancet 89;2(8676):1392-1393) Also keep in mind that bone broth is not nutritionally complete. You couldn't live on the broth alone. It contains only a few proteins and should be added to a more complete diet rather than used as a stand-alone.

Eggs Also Contain Hyaluronic Acid Another source of hyaluronic acid is eggs. The parts that you eat-the white and the yolk-are well-known sources of high-quality protein. But the membrane that separates the white from the shell is also composed mostly of protein, plus hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, and chondroitin. In fact, preliminary open -label studies suggest that the membrane itself could help alleviate joint pain. (At this point, it seems they've figured out how to use every part of the chicken but the cluck.)

When you make your joint-boosting broths, you can throw in any leftover eggshells from breakfast to double the broth's healing power. Just strain them out with the bones after the broth has cooked. If you're not big on eating eggs (though I highly recommend that you do so), or making soup puts too much heat in your kitchen during the summertime, you can look for supplements with egg- shell membrane.

The unpublished research I mentioned above showed that a small group of individuals who took supplements containing 500 mg of eggshell membrane had a reduction in their joint and muscle pain after just seven days, and that relief continued through the end of the study at 30 days.

I don't see any downside to taking eggshell membrane now rather than waiting years for it to get the blessing of some major journal.

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