Great Dunmow Osteopathic Clinic

What is Glucoseamine(GA) Chondrotin Sulphate(CS)?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

These are the base units of a thing called a proteoglycan.

A proteoglycan is a large water loving molecule that inhabits the synovial joints hyaline cartilage matrix and pretty much every connective tissue in the body.

Why are they so important? Its because of their hydrophilic properties they soak up water like a sponge and hang onto it. They do this within the hyaline cartilage matrix. Hyaline cartilage is the cartilage that covers the joint surfaces of all your synovial joints (ankles ,knees, hips and facet joints of your spine being major players)

Great so what's the problem? As we use our joints we squeeze water out of the cartilage matrix, which dehydrates the joint. Whilst we are under 35 that's ok when we rest we have plenty of proteoglycans left to rehydrate, if we are over 35 or participate in an arduous sport or lifestyle hard manual labour marathon running etc etc we increase the ageing of our cartilage. This meas that we do not replace the damaged proteoglycans, there is always a shortfall, over time our cartilage becomes dehydrated roughens and starts to degenerate and hurt.

So there is nothing we can do about this ? No! there's plenty to be done.
Stay fit mobile and active and increase your intake of glucoseamine, chondrotin sulphate. As we get older our digestive tract does not absord the required quantity of GA & CS that we need, we get round this by taking a super concentrate ofGA,CSt in a drinkable form also added to it is a substance called Methylsulphonylmethene (MSM) this is the key to the door and gets the raw material of GA,CS to the processing plant the nucleus of the chondrocyte which is the factory that produces the Proteoglycans, and a molecule called hyaloronic acid.

This is an interesting molecule because within the joint the hylauronic acid (a long thin hair like molecule) forms a felt like mesh next to the synovial membranre and hyaline cartilage and becomes and effective sieve to the mediators of inflammation that happen to quite large molecules, therefore , hylauronic acid is thought to have effective anti-inflammatory properties with absolutely no side effects because it is made in your joints for your joints by your joints, Mother nature knows best.

If you want more information about anything in this news letter please contact Angus Hellier at Great Dunmow Osteopathic Clinic on 01371 875217 or send us an e-mail via the contact form.