What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting at least 10% or more of the population and manifesting as an abnormal degradation of one or more joints. The cartilage forming the joints gradually wears down and loses its flexibility and elasticity; the ligaments, bones, muscles and synovial fluid, which lubricates the joints, begin to change; and the joints become stiff, reducing mobility. As the surrounding muscles are used less, some atrophy while others become overstretched as a result of the new positions you adopt to relieve the pain. The cartilage erodes, bones wear down and, in some cases, the joint becomes deformed. Finally, chronic inflammation becomes the norm.

Relieves pain associated with osteoarthritis

White pine bark

It is crucial to relieve the chronic, creeping pain caused by inflammation. Our white pine bark extract standardized to 95% proanthocyanidins, found in all Annedda^® products, has welldocumented anti-inflammatory effects. It inhibits formation of substances that trigger inflammation in the body: 5-lipoxygenase, phospholipase A2 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The most prescribed antiinflammatory drugs in the world focus on inhibiting COX-2. Clinical trials have shown that pine bark extract is effective in alleviating pain associated with osteoarthritis, improves mobility and reduces the need for patients to rely on synthetic anti-inflammatory and conventional pain medication. ANNEDDA OSTEOARTHRITIS^® relieves pain as effectively, if not better, than traditional anti-inflammatory drugs without causing the kinds of adverse effects that are increasingly associated with synthetic medications. Some of these anti-inflammatory drugs have even been removed from sale due to these adverse effects (e.g. Viox®), while the use of others is often limited for the same reasons (Celebrex®, ibuprofen, etc).

Devil’s claw root

We have also added devil’s claw root to the ANNEDDA OSTEOARTHRITIS^® formula. Like white pine bark, devil’s claw root offers an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting COX-2. It also inhibits enzymes that contribute to the breakdown of joint tissues (metalloproteases and elastases), slowing the progression of the disease. Devil’s claw root has also been observed to be an antioxidant and analgesic. The results of a number of clinical trials in patients suffering from osteoarthritis confirm that the plant is effective against joint and muscle pain, and demonstrate that its anti-inflammatory action is as good or better than that of the synthetic anti-inflammatories usually prescribed, without their adverse effects.

Devil’s claw root extract - Typically the devil’s claw root extract available on the market has a concentration ratio of 4:1, meaning that each milligram of extract contains the equivalent of 4 milligrams of devil’s claw root. However, it is not unusual to find that the raw material used to produce the extract contains only 0.1% harpagoside, the key active ingredient in devil’s claw root. This means that a product made from such quality raw material, though it will have the requisite 4:1 ratio, will contain a mere 0.4% harpagoside—and that information may not even appear on the label.

To ensure that our devil’s claw root extract is a potent therapeutic product, we only use raw material that holds at least 1% harpagoside, so that our 4:1 extract contains 4% active ingredient, or 10 times more than what our competitors are offering. This is why our extract is much more effective than most other extracts available on the market. An extract that does not hold a sufficient percentage of harpagoside will simply fail to produce the desired anti-inflammatory effect.

Curbs deterioration of joint tissues and promotes their regeneration

There are two main causes of osteoarthritis: a vascular disorder of the bone, and an accumulation of glycotoxins (glycation end products) in the body.

Vascular issues in the bones.

Joint tissues draw the nutrients they need to develop and repair themselves not from the blood vessels but from the synovial fluid that lubricates the joint. Nutrients are delivered through the capillaries, a network of microvessels that supply blood to the bones. When a dysfunction causes the capillaries to become blocked, they stop nourishing the synovial fluid. This episodic or chronic lack of oxygen and nutrients causes the joint tissues to break down. The proanthocyanidins found in our white pine bark extract protect blood vessels and maintain the normal function of capillaries, allowing the body to regain its natural capacity to not only curb deterioration of the joint tissues, but also to regenerate them.

Glycation.

Glycotoxins, or glycation end products, are proteins that fuse with sugar molecules. This happens when blood sugar levels rise, after a meal high in carbohydrates, for example. The body’s cells are unable to breakdown the glycated proteins so they accumulate indefinitely. Glycotoxin buildup in the body leads to a cellular reaction that can cause damage to the tissues. Patients suffering from osteoarthritis show an accumulation of glycotoxins in their cartilage matrix, which contributes to the deterioration of joint tissue, decreased synthesis of substances likely to regenerate deteriorated tissue and, as a result, progression of the disease. The proanthocyanidins in our white pine bark extract also work to lower blood sugar levels when they become too high, which limits glycotoxin formation and helps the body regain its natural capacity to not only curb deterioration of the joint tissues, but also to regenerate them.