Cartilage Supplements Health Article

Description

Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue found in humans and other animals. Bluish-white or gray in color, the semi-opaque tissue has no nerve or blood supply of its own. Cartilage supplements come from such animal sources as cattle, sheep, sharks, and chickens, with cows and sharks being the predominant sources. Bovine cartilage supplements are derived from the wind-pipes of cows, while the cartilage from the heads and fins of sharks is used for shark supplements.

General use

Both shark and bovine cartilage supplements have been proposed as treatments for cancer. In addition, a compound derived from cartilage called chondroitin has been publicized as a useful treatment for osteoarthritis. Cartilage preparations are available as pills, powders, or liquids for oral dosage. They can also be given as enemas, topical applications, or intravenous or intramuscular injections.

Bovine cartilage supplements

Beginning in the 1950s, a physician named John F. Prudden noticed that bovine cartilage could enhance wound healing in animals. Dr. Prudden then injected an extract of bovine cartilage into a breast cancer patient whose tumor had ulcerated her skin. The patient's tumor ultimately disappeared, and she lived for 12 years before dying of other causes. In 1985, Prudden published the first of several scientific papers on the subject.

Dr. Prudden believes that the anticancer ingredients in bovine cartilage are mucopolysaccharides, which are complex sugar molecules that help fight cancer by stimulating the patient's immune system. Prudden also states that these large sugar molecules act on tumor cell membranes by blocking mitosis (cell division). Other proposed explanations of the effectiveness of bovine cartilage include the inhibition of protease, which is an enzyme that helps to break down proteins; and by blocking the formation of enzymes that break down collagen proteins. Numerous bovine cartilage supplements have been made available for immunostimulation or to fight off cancer cells. Most reports on tumor response and the survival of cancer patients after cartilage treatment, however, are anecdotal.