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“Movement is life,” said one philosopher. We all want to stay active and young for as long as possible. But it doesn’t always work out. The musculoskeletal system wears out with age, and we are used to thinking about our joints and ligaments after they get sick. Also at risk of injuries and injuries are people with high physical activity, athletes, bodybuilders, track and field athletes and, of course, losing weight with an impressive weight. Performing physical exercises with a large body weight, we give double the load on the joints. All this suggests that the joints should be protected and think about their health right now. Do not lead to arthritis and arthrosis.
How the joint works
Our joints are the moving places where two or more bones connect into a single system. The joint consists of the articular surfaces covered with cartilage, the joint cavity and capsule, the synovial membrane, and the fluid. This is a complex system that provides a person with mobility and stability. There are 340 joints in the human body, from small to large: hip, elbow, knee, etc. This whole complex system needs nutrients, and chemical metabolic processes are constantly taking place inside the joint.
According to WHO, every 7 people on the planet at the age of 40-50 years face joint diseases – this is 50%, and by the age of 70, about 90% experience problems. Statistics are not comforting, so the editors of the website calorizer encourages you to take care of your joints in advance.
Collagen
Scientists have proven that the elasticity of ligaments and joint mobility is affected by the level of collagen. This protein is produced in the human body independently. But with age, its production decreases and, first of all, all tissues containing this protein suffer. Skin, hair, ligaments, and joints. In addition, collagen is involved in many chemical processes in the body, affecting the quality of sleep, the work of the gastrointestinal tract, and increasing the level of endurance. In order for collagen to be properly absorbed by the body, it needs zinc, copper, sulfur, selenium, vitamins A, D, E and C. Collagen synthesis is significantly reduced at the age of 26, and the production of collagen is largely influenced by bad habits and lifestyle. For example, smoking and alcohol consumption, chronic lack of sleep and poor nutrition.
Jelly for joint health – all the pros and cons
Collagen is considered as the main element for the health of joints and ligaments and there is an opinion that in order to preserve youth, beauty and mobility for a long time, you need to eat foods that contain a large amount of collagen. For example, jelly. For its preparation, bones, joints, and cartilage of animals are used, the collagen from which is boiled and enters the broth. At first glance, everything seems logical, but in fact-it is not quite so.
There is really a lot of collagen in the jelly, getting into the body, it is broken down to amino acids. In the undivided form, this protein simply cannot be absorbed through the walls of the stomach into the blood. The use of jelly increases the content of amino acids in the blood, but the body is a complex well-coordinated system and amino acids can be directed to solve other problems and this is not necessarily the skin, hair and joints. That is, theoretically, the use of jelly, or collagen in the form of powder, helps to improve the work of ligaments and joints, but your body may not think so and close the more pressing problems with amino acids from collagen.
Now let’s weigh the pros and cons: jelly is a meat – and-bone broth with pieces of meat, boiled and cooled to a jelly state. On the one hand, it contains a large amount of B vitamins, a large amount of collagen and glycine, and on the other-it is contraindicated for people with gastrointestinal diseases, gastritis with high acidity, predisposition to kidney stones and gallbladder. And because of the high content of cholesterol in it, nutritionists do not recommend using it more than 150-200 grams per day, once a week, even if you are absolutely healthy!
But still, the jelly has its own purpose. This is a snack and, as a rule, it is served with strong alcoholic beverages. And this is not for nothing. Once in the stomach, the jelly turns back into a liquid. The viscous broth envelops the walls of the stomach and prevents the absorption of alcohol.
Chondroitin and Glucosamine
These two substances are also essential for joint health. Glucosamine is involved in the construction of tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Chondroitin is a connective tissue polysaccharide that normalizes the structure of articular cartilage. For health, it is important that both of these elements are present in the diet. Acute deficiency of these substances is observed in people aged 50-60 years, when the production of these substances by the body is reduced at times. The synthesis of glucosamine and chondroitin involves vitamins A, B and C, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, selenium, manganese salts, copper and collagen.
What foods should I look for glucosamine and chondroitin in? First of all, it is poultry meat, beef, cheeses without heat treatment, seafood, eggs, mushrooms, nuts and sprouted seeds.
Joint Nutrition
What should be the nutrition for the joints? First of all, it is balanced. The body must receive all the micro-and macronutrients in sufficient quantities. One cannot be synthesized without the other. Even a sufficient amount of collagen, chondroitin and glucosamine in food does not guarantee you the health of the joints with intense physical exertion, household injuries and the presence of bad habits.
Provide the joints with a moderate load in the form of walking or yoga, eat properly and in a balanced way, give up smoking and alcohol consumption and you will be able to prolong the health of the joints for many years.