[Proteoglycan Benefits] 3 Benefits of Proteoglycans, the true constituents of cartilage

One of the reasons why the quality of life of arthritis patients decreases is pain. She is particularly troubled by knee pain.

The knee is a very demanding part of the body. For every kilogram of body weight gained, the load on the knee increases by three to five times. Not only that, but it is also a part that performs movements such as bending and extending frequently, so it inevitably degenerates faster than other joint parts. Because of this, there are quite a few people who complain of knee pain when walking or even when resting. For these people, salmon cartilage-derived proteoglycans seem to be a hope.

In participants between the ages of 40 and 75 with knee pain, 15 mg of salmon cartilage-derived proteoglycans per day were shown to improve knee pain in a variety of situations [1].

As we age, our joints become weaker because cartilage cells age, just like the cells in our body. As a result, the ability of cartilage cells to synthesize cartilage-protecting components such as proteoglycans and type 2 collagen, that is, the metabolism of cartilage, is also reduced. As these protective elements gradually disappear, the damage to the cartilage accelerates.

However, the consumption of proteoglycans has also been shown to help metabolize these cartilages. Men and women with knee joint discomfort on average aged 52.4 years were given 10 mg of proteoglycans per day for 16 weeks. Cartilage metabolism has been improved as follows [2].

Proteoglycans don't just support joint cartilage health. Proteoglycans are not only present in cartilage, but also in the skin. Like the proteoglycans in cartilage, the proteoglycans in the skin are responsible for giving elasticity to the skin tissue and cushioning the skin from shocks.

In this regard, we would like to introduce a human application study that studied the skin health benefits of taking proteoglycans. In this study, 19 adults were divided into a supplemental group and a placebo group, and only the group took 15 mg of salmon nasal cartilage-derived proteoglycans daily for two weeks.

Significant improvements were observed in various skin health indicators, including skin elasticity and wrinkles, in the intake group.

"Compared to the placebo group, there was a significant improvement in skin elasticity, viscoelasticity, and recovery after deformity in the placebo group. Skin looseness was significantly reduced in the intake group. In addition, the number of wrinkles, visible or darkened facial pores, and stains was significantly reduced in the intake group."

Today, we looked at the benefits of taking proteoglycans, which have emerged as a cutting-edge joint material. It is certainly an excellent material that has been confirmed to have joint health benefits as a key component of joints, but as I mentioned earlier, the process of obtaining proteoglycans is very difficult, so it has not been easy to find proteoglycan supplements until now.

With the advent of proteoglycans derived from salmon cartilage, it is expected that the general public as well as academia will pay attention to them. If you have any questions about proteoglycans that have not been answered in this article, please feel free to leave them in the comments. We'll talk more about that in the next part.

So, I hope you have a healthy day in body and mind. It was Jinny.

[1] Kuriyama, Y. (2020). Effects of Salmon Nasal Cartilage Extract Powder Standardized Undenatured Type ⅡCollagen and Proteoglycan on Knee Pain in Healthy Volunteers―A Single Center Randomized, Double—blind, Placebo—controlled Study: Re—analysis Results Focused on the Knee with Stronger Pain―. 薬理と治療, 48(11), 2011-2019.
[2] Takahashi, T. (2018). サケ鼻軟骨由来プロテオグリカン摂取による関節保護効果 [Joint protective effect of proteoglycan intake derived from salmon nasal cartilage]. Functional Food Research, 14(0), 36-43.
[3] Takahashi, T., Matsubara, J., Wakamatsu, K., Tanaka, Y. T., Masutani, T., Yonezuka, M., ... & Tsuboi, M. (2015). Ingestion of salmon nasal cartilage-derived proteoglycan improves skin condition: A randomized, double-blind, controlled study. Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Formerly Current Medicinal Chemistry-Immunology, Endocrine and Metabolic Agents), 15(2), 160-167.