Daily health

Vitamins for Joints

clinician image
Medically approved by Dr Earim Chaudry
Chief Medical Officer
iconLast updated 4th May 2021

In 30 Seconds…

Stiff joints aren’t fun, but they are something many of us will experience at some point or another. However, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest vitamins for bones and joints will help.

Knowing what vitamins are good for joints and bones and combining them with a healthy lifestyle will help you tackle both the causes and effects of joint pain – meaning you can alleviate the symptoms and even help repair your joints.

It begins with those grunts when you stand up: once you’re past your twenties, bending becomes more noticeable. Then there’s joint pain. Osteoarthritis is common in people aged over 30, as wear-and-tear leads to pain in weight-bearing joints – but there are many reasons why you might be achy. This is why many people look to vitamins for joints to keep moving freely.

But what are the best vitamins for joints, and how do they help? Which supplements are anti-inflammatory, which vitamins lubricate joints, and what vitamins should you take for aching joints? Here are the 6 most recommended vitamins for bones and joints.

1. Fish Oil

Fish oil supplements are packed full of omega-3 fatty acids. These are found in the membranes of every cell in your body. Omega-3s inhibit the inflammatory mediators responsible for a chemical chain reaction that releases lysosomal enzymes and cytokines and activates nuclear factor-kappa B (NFκB), which are agents that signal an immune response and attack cells, leading to bone resorption. Omega-3s also neutralise free radicals, which are unstable molecules missing an electron that cause oxidative stress, and are responsible for painful arthritis inflammation.

This is good news for joints on two counts: for sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease that deteriorates joints), it inhibits the damaging autoimmune response. For the rest of us, Omega-3s help alleviate the inflammation that leads to increased joint pain.

In a study measuring effects of high-dose fish oil on rheumatoid arthritis patients, subjects experienced significant decreases in tender joints. In another study on patients experiencing non-surgical neck or back pain, many found their overall condition improved.

2. Glucosamine

Glucosamine is a naturally occurring sugar found in the fluid around and the cartilage that cushions your joints. In fact, Glucosamine sulfate forms the primary building block for the large molecules in cartilage that give it its buffering qualities. Unfortunately, however, our glucosamine levels drop as we age.

During osteoarthritis, cartilage in your joints breaks down which increases friction, pain and stiffness. However, glucosamine supplements have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects as well as protective properties on cartilage, which suggests that it not only inhibits this breakdown of joint cartilage, but may help repair it.

Glucosamine sulphate supplements can be traced to cartilage as soon as four hours after consumption, and most research indicates it is an effective vitamin for joints affected by osteoarthritis – especially knee pain. An alternative form, Glucosamine hydrochloride, is even more easily absorbed into the body (thus requires smaller doses), and is considered to be just as effective, though there are fewer completed studies to review.

3. Chondroitin

Chondroitin is just as important to natural joint health as glucosamine, and you’ll often find the two paired together in scientific research. This is because both are structural components of cartilage, so chondroitin supplements work under the same logic; namely that they help your body maintain the cartilage needed for healthy joints.

Chondroitin is a much larger chemical than glucosamine. Chondroitin sulfate helps cartilage retain water, which helps reinforce the structure of the joint cavity and therefore its ease of movement. It’s been studied less extensively than glucosamine, but research nevertheless suggests chondroitin may slow cartilage breakdown and even spur regrowth, thus reversing the effects of arthritis. 

That’s not all. chondroitin sulfate has also been shown to possess anti-inflammatory effects and antioxidant properties. This helps to explain why most clinical trials have shown it to be beneficial for joints, with patients experiencing improved knee joints, reduced swelling and less overall pain.

4. Vitamin D

While it’s widely known that Vitamin D is important to bone health, it’s important to note that it also plays a key role in maintaining healthy joints. Your body makes it in response to sunlight, but most of us don’t get enough of this throughout the year, so Vitamin D supplements are a great solution.

Vitamin D helps balance the body’s absorption of calcium. This is what helps strengthen bones – but the fluid in your joints and the cartilage lining them also contain calcium. In fact, calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate arthritis is a joint disease that’s characterised by calcium building up and crystallizing in the joints, which creates friction and leads to joint swelling and pain. Vitamin D’s vital role in calcium homeostasis helps prevent this from happening.

Vitamin D deficiency has also been associated with autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. Studies have shown people with low levels of vitamin D are more likely to suffer from joint pain. Conversely, arthritic patients given Vitamin D supplements in clinical trials experienced reduced spinal deterioration while further studies suggest it may help reduce rheumatoid arthritis.

5. Vitamin C

If the above doesn’t convince you to crack out the multivitamins, perhaps this will: Vitamin C is also a fantastic vitamin for joints and bones.

Like omega-3, Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, meaning it fights the molecules that could trigger inflammation in your joints. It’s integral to your body’s immune response and may therefore help control flares caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Vitamin C is also needed by the body to synthesise collagen – which is the main protein in your joint tissues.

In one study, increased Vitamin C was associated with reduced levels of inflammatory markers in arthritic patients. In another, Vitamin C was found to induce a number of the body’s chemical reactions that protect cartilage against damage. For those with knee pain, taking Vitamin C reduced the damage to cartilage, and for those with autoimmune disease, it halted disease progression.

In fact, studies showed Vitamin C also reduced joint pain – so it’s safe to say that whatever’s causing your stiff joints, Vitamin C could help.

6. Curcumin

Curcumin (or diferuloylmethane) is a natural chemical compound found in turmeric, which is a plant in the ginger family and a well-known ingredient in Asian cuisine.

Like omega-3, curcumin blocks inflammatory cytokines and enzymes. Studies also found it prevented local activation of NFκB and the subsequent expression of genes mediating joint inflammation and destruction. Curcumin is also an antioxidant, so helps neutralise free radicals, and is thought to inhibit the body’s response to tumor necrosis factor, which causes inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and other arthritic conditions.

Research into curcumin’s benefits is sparse but encouraging: in one study, 94% of patients with knee osteoarthritis taking curcumin reported improvement, with fewer side effects than those taking pain killers. They also lost an average of 2% of their body weight in four weeks. Further studies found it provided relief for people with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other arthritic conditions.

While eating more curries sounds like a tastier alternative to fish oil supplements, however, it’s worth noting that curcumin accounts for only 5% of turmeric – so you’ll need curcumin joint supplements to get enough to feel its anti-arthritic benefits. 

Key Takeaways: Vitamins for Strong Joints

When considering what vitamins are good for joints and bones, it’s important to remember that they work best in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle. Tendons, joints and cartilage do not have direct blood vessels, so keeping active is an important step to diffuse helpful nutrients into your joints in order to do their work.

With aging most of us will experience stiff joints in one form or another, but with the appropriate vitamins and supplements, it’s possible to tackle both the causes and effects of joint pain.

References
icon¹
icon²

Caroline Morin, Pierre U Blier and Samuel Fortin (2015). Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid monoglycerides are more potent than docosahexaenoic acid monoglyceride to resolve inflammation in a rheumatoid arthritis model: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4624173/

icon³

Toby Lawrence (2009). The Nuclear Factor NF-κB Pathway in Inflammation: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2882124/

icon
icon

Sinéad M Weldon, Anne C Mullen, Christine E Loscher, Lisa A Hurley, Helen M Roche (2007). Docosahexaenoic acid induces an anti-inflammatory profile in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human THP-1 macrophages more effectively than eicosapentaenoic acid: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16781858/

icon

J M Kremer, D A Lawrence, G F Petrillo, L L Litts, P M Mullaly, R I Rynes, R P Stocker, N Parhami, N S Greenstein, B R Fuchs (1995). Effects of high-dose fish oil on rheumatoid arthritis after stopping nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. Clinical and immune correlates: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7639807/

icon

Joseph Charles Maroon, Jeffrey W Bost (2006). Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) as an anti-inflammatory: an alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for discogenic pain: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16531187/

icon

MedLine Plus – Glucosamine Sulfate: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/807.html

icon
icon¹⁰

Carey-Beth James and Timothy L. Uhl (2001). A Review of Articular Cartilage Pathology and the Use of Glucosamine Sulfate: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC155438/

icon¹¹
icon¹²

Jörg Jerosch (2011). Effects of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate on Cartilage Metabolism in OA: Outlook on Other Nutrient Partners Especially Omega-3 Fatty Acids: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150191/

icon¹³

Arthritis Health – How Glucosamine and Chondroitin Help with Osteoarthritis: https://www.arthritis-health.com/treatment/alternative-treatments/how-glucosamine-and-chondroitin-help-osteoarthritis

icon¹⁴

Jean-Yves Reginster, Audrey Neuprez, Marie-Paule Lecart, Nathalie Sarlet and Olivier Bruyere (2012). Role of glucosamine in the treatment for osteoarthritis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3456914/

icon¹⁵

Beth Anne Fox and Mary M Stephens (2007). Glucosamine hydrochloride for the treatment of osteoarthritis symptoms: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2686334/

icon¹⁶

NIH – Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/glucosamine-and-chondroitin-for-osteoarthritis

icon¹⁷

C L Deal and R W Moskowitz (1999). Nutraceuticals as therapeutic agents in osteoarthritis. The role of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and collagen hydrolysate: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10356424/

icon¹⁸

Yves Henrotin, PhD, Mariane Mathy, PhD, Christelle Sanchez, PhD and Cecile Lambert, PhD (2010). Chondroitin Sulfate in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis: From in Vitro Studies to Clinical Recommendations: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3383492/

icon¹⁹

G M Campo, A Avenoso, S Campo, A M Ferlazzo, A Calatroni (2006). Antioxidant activity of chondroitin sulfate: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17239778/

icon²⁰

Harvard Health Publishing – Calcium beyond the bones: https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/calcium-beyond-the-bones

icon²¹

Harvard Health Publishing – By the way, doctor: Is taking calcium a problem if you have pseudogout?: https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/By-the-way-doctor-Is-taking-calcium-a-problem-if-you-have-pseudogout

icon²²

Ifigenia Kostoglou-Athanassiou, Panagiotis Athanassiou, Aikaterini Lyraki, Ioannis Raftakis and Christodoulos Antoniadis (2012). Vitamin D and rheumatoid arthritis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3539179/

icon²³

Murat Cakar, Semih Ayanoglu, Haluk Cabuk, Metin Seyran, Suleyman Semih Dedeoglu and Hakan Gurbuz (2018). Association between vitamin D concentrations and knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5922228/

icon²⁴

Annals of Internal Medicine – Calcium and Vitamin D3 Supplementation Prevents Bone Loss in the Spine Secondary to Low-Dose Corticosteroids in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/abs/10.7326/0003-4819-125-12-199612150-00004

icon²⁵

P. Leventis, S. Patel (2008). Clinical aspects of vitamin D in the management of rheumatoid arthritis: https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article/47/11/1617/1789081

icon²⁶

Sebastian J Padayatty, Arie Katz, Yaohui Wang, Peter Eck, Oran Kwon, Je-Hyuk Lee, Shenglin Chen, Christopher Corpe, Anand Dutta, Sudhir K Dutta, Mark Levine (2003). Vitamin C as an antioxidant: evaluation of its role in disease prevention: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12569111/

icon²⁷

Nicholas N. DePhillipo, MS, ATC, CSCS, Zachary S. Aman, BA, Mitchell I. Kennedy, BS, J.P. Begley, MD, Gilbert Moatshe, MD, PhD and Robert F. LaPrade (2018). Efficacy of Vitamin C Supplementation on Collagen Synthesis and Oxidative Stress After Musculoskeletal Injuries: A Systematic Review: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6204628/

icon²⁸

Tahereh Arablou, Naheed Aryaeian, Mahmoud Djalali, Farhad Shahram and Latifeh Rasouli (2016). Association between dietary intake of some antioxidant micronutrients with some inflammatory and antioxidant markers in active Rheumatoid Arthritis patients: https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1024/0300-9831/a000255

icon²⁹

Richard C. Lindsey,Shaohong Cheng,Subburaman Mohan (2019). Vitamin C effects on 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and gene expression in osteoblasts and chondrocytes: Potential involvement of PHD2: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0220653

icon³⁰

Gabby B. Joseph, Charles E. McCulloch, Michael C. Nevitt, Jan Neumann, John A. Lynch, Nancy E. Lane and Thomas M Link (2019). Associations Between Vitamins C and D Intake and Cartilage Composition and Knee Joint Morphology Over 4 Years: Data From the Osteoarthritis Initiative: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acr.24021

icon³¹

D J Pattison, A J Silman, N J Goodson, M Lunt1, D Bunn, R Luben, A Welch, S Bingham, K-T Khaw, N Day, D P M Symmons – Vitamin C and the risk of developing inflammatory polyarthritis: prospective nested case-control study: https://ard.bmj.com/content/63/7/843

icon³²

Anitra C. Carr & Cate McCall (2017). The role of vitamin C in the treatment of pain: new insights: https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12967-017-1179-7

icon³³

NCBI – Turmeric, the Golden Spice: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/

icon³⁴
icon³⁵

Harvard Health Publishing – Curcumin for arthritis: Does it really work?: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/curcumin-for-arthritis-does-it-really-work-2019111218290

icon³⁶

Yves Henrotin, Fabian Priem, Ali Mobasheri (2013). Yves Henrotin, Fabian Priem, Ali Mobasheri: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23487030/

icon³⁷

A Randomized, Pilot Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis – http://www.imuneksfarma.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/07/INF-03.pdf

icon³⁸

Yunes Panahi, Ali-Reza Rahimnia, Mojtaba Sharafi, Gholamhossein Alishiri, Amin Saburi, Amirhossein Sahebkar (2014). Curcuminoid treatment for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24853120/

icon³⁹

Subash C. Gupta, Sridevi Patchva, and Bharat B. Aggarwal (2012). Therapeutic Roles of Curcumin: Lessons Learned from Clinical Trials: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3535097/

While we've ensured that everything you read on the Health Centre is medically reviewed and approved, information presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your doctor.