What foods/herbs help heal cartilage?

[Tux]

I am recovering from a big injury and I'm wondering if anyone here knows any foods that are good for healing cartilage. i know it heals very slowly, and as far as I know the body needs glucosamine and chondroitin to build it, which you can only get from creating a broth or something from the bones and joints of other animals. A chiropractor once recommended I take a half packet of gelatine once a day for a month and a half, stop for a month and a half, and start again for a month and a half, on and on, to help rebuild joints. Since joints rebuild so slowly I guess I'm more looking for any information on what I can do to just help em out in the long run, or any foods and herbs or anything else that would stimulate cartilage growth. If you have any advice for the tendons, muscles, whatever, that would be nice too. I'm too young for my joints to suck!

[C T]

Not sure if you can avail of it where you are, but this fish is generally trusted among the Chinese populace in Malaysia for its healing properties, especially after surgery. Might work for you, if you are able to get it. Try some live fish traders in any Chinatown. Or that stall in Nashville? If you are morally bound to not take life, then please just ignore this post.

 

Scroll down to 'Live-Food Fish Trade' -- http://fl.biology.usgs.gov/Snakehead_circ_1251/html/uses.html

Edited August 27, 2011 by CowTao

[konchog uma]

shark cartilage.

[Tux]

Thanks for the responses! I'll check out that fish. And yeah, I do stay away from supplements because I'm skeptical about absorbancy.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

Lecithin is most important for joints and their protection as it is more or less what surrounds the joints. You might find bone meal tablets online so you don't have to drink the powder. Also be sure to take vitamin D magnesium, and vitamin C to absorb the calcium, and stay away from white starches, sugar, and stress as they all deplete calcium. Pay attention to having a good 2:1 calcium phosphorus balance and maybe avoid corn as it is 1:12. Mushrooms are also really high in phosphorus.

 

If you can get fresh dandelion leaves at the grocery store, I suggest snacking on those constantly as they provide tons of nutrients and calcium.

 

Vitamin C is incredible for tissue healing so you should take plenty. I forget what the maximum usable amount in the body is, but a mild overdose will just cause stomach upset. Read more about vitamin C and tissue regeneration from Dr. Weil.

 

Check all this out for yourself online, too, and maybe double check it with your doctor since I'm not a health professional.

[thelerner]

I've heard 'bone' soup could help. Its old school, loaded w/ nutrients. For example its a large natural dose of the gelatin like the chiropractor suggested. In winter I'll make long slow cooked with meaty bones in it.

 

Here is a link: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/cooking-with-bones/

 

Marks daily apple has quite a bit of good advice in it.

[joeblast]

Some wonderful person popped this link up a while back

 

http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/broth-is-beautiful

[rsalazar]

Some wonderful person popped this link up a while back

 

http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/broth-is-beautiful

 

Hey Joeblast,

Grrrrrreat link, broth is beautiful stuff - It's the ideal food for the sick and recovering since it's basically an animal "extract" and all the goodies are quickly and easily absorbed - I'd also like to put in the good word for avocado, which has been found to contain several phytochemicals which seem to promote the growth of chondrocytes, which are the cells that actually produce cartilage in the joints, here is an example.

Cheers,

R

 

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2008 Jun;5(2):191-7.

Metabolic effects of avocado/soy unsaponifiables on articular chondrocytes.

Lippiello L, Nardo JV, Harlan R, Chiou T.

Source

Nutramax Laboratories Inc, Edgewood, MD 21040, USA.

Abstract

Avocado/soy unsaponifiable (ASU) components are reported to have a chondroprotective effect by virtue of anti-inflammatory and proanabolic effects on articular chondrocytes. The identity of the active component(s) remains unknown. In general, sterols, the major component of unsaponifiable plant material have been demonstrated to be anti-inflammatory in vitro and in animal models. These studies were designed to clarify whether the sterol content of ASU preparations were the primary contributors to biological activity in articular chondrocytes. ASU samples were analyzed by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and GC mass spectrometry. The sterol content was normalized between diverse samples prior to in vitro testing on bovine chondrocytes. Anabolic activity was monitored by uptake of 35-sulfate into proteoglycans and quantitation of labeled hydroxyproline and proline content after incubation with labeled proline. Anti-inflammatory activity was assayed by measuring reduction of interleukin-1 (IL-1)-induced synthesis of PGE2 and metalloproteases and release of label from tissue prelabeled with S-35.All ASU samples exerted a similar time-dependent up-regulation of 35-sulfate uptake in bovine cells reaching a maximum of greater than 100% after 72 h at sterol doses of 1-10 mug/ml. Non-collagenous protein (NCP) and collagen synthesis were similarly up-regulated. All ASU were equally effective in dose dependently inhibiting IL-1-induced MMP-3 activity (23-37%), labeled sulfate release (15-23%) and PGE2 synthesis (45-58%). Up-regulation of glycosaminoglycan and collagen synthesis and reduction of IL-1 effects in cartilage are consistent with chondroprotective activity. The similarity of activity of ASU from diverse sources when tested at equal sterol levels suggests sterols are important for biologic effects in articular chondrocytes.

[Tux]

Yessss broth is great, I've made it many times and often just drink a little glass of it by itself every day when I have it. And avocados are another favorite; looks like I'm on the right track. Didn't know about dandelion leaves, thanks!