In this section
- Collagen Aids Fight Against Osteoarthritis - Go Healthy, Autumn, 2004
- My knee is so much better - Woman, August 16, 2004
- Take supplements - Woman's Weekly, July 6, 2004
- How a collagen pill can beat arthritis - Daily Mail, Tuesday, August 5, 2003
- Nutritional Intervention for Joint Health - Berlin, Germany, October 17, 2003
- Impact of Collagen Fragments on the Extracellular Matrix Metabolism - Steffen Oesser, PhD, Surgical Research Department of General Surgery and Thoracic Surgery, University of Kiel, Germany
- The Role of Nutrition In Joint Health - Kristine Clark, PhD, RD, FACSM, Director of Sports Nutrition, Penn State Orthopedics, The Pennsylvania State University
- Joint Health and Osteoarthritis: The Facts.
- New highlights from research on gelatine - Natural prevention of osteoarthritis possible - Eberbach, Germany, April 22, 2003.
- Champneys Magazine Ad - Summer 2004
Michael van Straten Complementary Health Journalist of the Year '04
Woman, August 16, 2004
My knee is so much better
Training injuries took their toll on karate expert Helena Pettit, 29. But a new protein supplement has now eased her painful joints.
‘I’ve been a member of the International British Karate
Squad since 1995 and impact injuries are common,’ says
Helena, from Hertford, who’s a marketing consultant.
‘I’ve broken a couple of toes, damaged my knuckles and strained my hip joints. Two years ago my left knee was badly injured by a kick and now gets swollen and painful. I train four hours a day (more before competitions) and my knee was becoming a real problem. A colleague recommended pure collagen granules which you mix with water and drink every day. I’ve been taking them for four months and my knee’s much better. It hardly swells and the pain has gone. My hair and nails have improved too, which is a bonus.’
Helena’s typical daily diet:
- Breakfast: cornflakes and yoghurt, coffee, fruit juice.
- Mid-morning: toast and margarine.
- Lunch: fish and vegetables, salad or risotto.
- Dinner: chicken (beef once a month) with salad, jacket potato and fruit.
Michael says
The collagen drink Helena’s using is a natural form of protein used to build cartilage and connective tissue. As we get older the level of collagen declines, skin loses elasticity, joints stiffen, and hair and nails get brittle. Research has shown that taking collagen helps replace some losses and stimulates the body’s own production. Collagen Collection (extracted from animal sources) is a water-soluble protein and each sachet provides 10g of 100 per cent pure collagen, made up of 18 amino acids. It’s pricey at £39.95 for a month’s supply, but studies have demonstrated that this supplement can relieve pain and discomfort in damaged and arthritic joints. At 5ft 7in and 9st 10lb (62kg) Helena’s BMI is a perfect 20.5 and she’s all muscle. But work and training don’t leave her much time for shopping and cooking, and her diet isn’t great. Because she’s slim, her vitamin D consumption is negligible, and she gets very little sunlight, she could be a candidate for osteoporosis in her 50s. Helena needs the fish oil supplement MorEPA every day for vitamin D and joint protection, and oily fish twice a week. An iron supplement such as Floradix, from chemists and health stores, would be a good idea too. Collagen Collection is available from health stores or www.collagencollection.com; 01306 877162.
