Are Joint Pain Relief Supplements Safe?

With concerns growing about the effects anti-inflammatories can have on your kidneys and heart, it is only understandable that you are looking for an alternative form of joint pain relief.

You want to release your body from the limitations of joint pain and enable yourself to lead a normal life. Yet with the launch of so many products, can you really be sure that they can help you to experience pain relief?

It really depends on their ingredients…

What is Reishi?

Many of the leading supplements for arthritis pain relief now contain Reishi (ganoderma), a mushroom extract which has been proven to improve adrenocortical function and boost your immune system (stopping it from attacking your joints).

By increasing your natural macrophage production, these ‘find’ and ‘eat’ bacteria, viruses and dead cells, thus reducing inflammation around your joints.

But this is not all reishi can do. Within this ganoderma extract can also be found:

• Triterpenes – these strengthen your stomach and digestive system, decreasing allergies and inflammation.
• Polysaccharides – acting as an anticoagulant, polysaccharides reduce the stickiness of platelets making it harder for them to build up on artery walls. In addition they help regulate immune function by T and B lymphocyte activation and Interferon; decrease allergies; enhance your immune system and improve autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis.
• Organic Germanium – enhances body energy, reduces fatigue, encourages blood circulation, improves your metabolism and has been found to detoxify the blood.
• AMP – has been known to reduce thrombosis, improve circulation and remove circulatory blockages.

Other ingredients

Reishi is just one of many natural ingredients which can now be found in joint pain relief supplements. Other common ingredients include:

• Tongkat Ali – proven to improve muscle atrophy by boosting muscle growth around your joints, the stronger your muscles, the less ‘wear and tear’ you’ll experience.
• Devil’s Claw – commonly used in rheumatism products as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and digestive stimulant, its active ingredient harpogoside has been found to reduce inflammation in joints.
• Nexrutine – a plant extract possessing cyclo oxygenase 2 (COX-2), this enzyme produces compounds in your body which have been associated with pain and inflammation.
• Willow bark – enriched in salicin, willow bark is believed to provide relief for minor joint pain.
• Other common ingredients – turmeric (helps joint pain and inflammation), ginger (alleviates muscle strain, arthritis, rheumatism, digestive track and IBS pain), holy basil (helps common cold and influenza), rosemary extract (reduces inflammation, muscle soreness and arthritis), boswellia extract (decreases inflammation and joint pain) and alpha lipoic acids (helps vitamins to work better to clean and detoxify the body).

Joint pain relief supplements offering any of the above ingredients can help you to experience natural pain relief and comfort. However, before you invest in any supplement it is important that you first check for clinical studies, medical endorsements and certificates to ensure that you are getting a credible product that works.

If they cannot offer you proof of their claims, then you may not be getting the real deal. So do your research first, and ensure you are getting the real deal.