|
Arthritis: Why Minerals Are So Important?
Minerals make up much of our tissues, especially bone and cartilage, and are essential for enzyme reactions, hormone production, and nerve transmission in the body. In a rushed lifestyle, where it's difficult to grab more for lunch than a burger and fries, it's easy to become low in these important nutrients. A busy lifestyle doesn't help — the more you are subject to stress, the more you use up these minerals. And — if you have trouble digesting your food, the minerals in your diet may not even make it all the way into your system.
Researchers have discovered that many people with degenerative joint conditions do not receive the recommended daily allowance of important trace minerals such as calcium, zinc, magnesium, and selenium from their diets. This could be one reason why individuals with joint problems have been found to have low levels of selenium. Selenium provides crucial protection against the free radical damage that has been found associated with arthritis. Free radicals are unstable molecules in the body that can cause damage by destroying enzymes, protein molecules, and entire cells. The damage they cause is an important mechanism in the progression of all types of arthritis. Selenium helps out by functioning as an antioxidant and acting as a cofactor in the free radical-scavenging enzyme, glutathione peroxidase.
Another protective antioxidant enzyme in the body is superoxide dismutase (SOD). Cofactors for this enzyme include manganese, copper and zinc. Deficiencies in any of these could therefore impair the function of this enzyme. In fact, individuals with poor joint health have been found to have low blood levels of both manganese and zinc. Injections of SOD into the joints of patients have demonstrated significant benefit. Manganese and zinc are also both plentiful in healthy cartilage, so deficiencies may render your cartilage more susceptible to damage. Too high a level of copper in the blood, on the other hand, has been linked with the severity of symptoms in those with poor joint health.
| Recommended BodyBalance Product: |
MineralCheck
If you would like to learn more about a BodyBalance product that can help monitor mineral deficiencies, please visit the MineralCheck product page. |
References:
- Grennan DM, et al. Serum copper and zinc in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. N Z Med J 1980;91(652):47-50.
- Henrotin Y, et al. Active oxygen species, articular inflammation and cartilage damage. EXS 1992;62:308-22.
- Huskisson EC, Scott J. Orgotein in osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Eur J Rheumatol Inflam 1981;4:212.
- Kremer JM, Bigaouette J. Nutrient intake of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is deficient in pyridoxine, zinc, copper, and magnesium. J Rheumatol 1996;23(6):990-4.
- Lund-Olesen K, Menander KB. Orgotein: A new anti-inflammatory metalloprotein drug: Preliminary evaluation of clinical efficacy and safety in degenerative joint disease. Curr Ther Res 1974;16:706-17.
- Stone J, et al. Inadequate calcium, folic acid, vitamin E, zinc, and selenium intake in rheumatoid arthritis patients: results of a dietary survey. Semin Arthritis Rheum 1997;23(3):180-5.
- Sullivan MX, Hess WC. Cystine content of fingernails in arthritis. J Bone Joint Surg 1935;16:119-25.
- Tarp U, et al. Low selenium level in severe rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J of Rheumatol 1985;14:97-101.
- Tarp U, et al. Selenium treatment in rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J of Rheum 1985;14:364-8. Pasquier C, et al. Manganese-containing superoxide-dismutase deficiency in polymorphonuclear leukocytes of adults with rheumatoid arthritis. Inflam 1984;4:27-32.
- Weinstein A. Low plasma zinc levels in active rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 1998 Jan;25(1):187-8.
|
