Benefits:

Glucosamine

Glucosamine is an aminosugar. It is made in the body from the simple
carbohydrate glucose (sugar) and the amino acid glutamine. Although our
bodies generally use glucose to produce energy, the aminosugars found in
glucosamine are incorporated into the structure of body tissue.
Glucosamine is involved in the formation of cartilage, nails, tendons,
skin, eyes, bones, ligaments, and heart valves. It also plays a role in
the mucous secretions of the digestive, respiratory, and urinary tracts.
Of particular interest is its role in cartilage.

Cartilage

Cartilage is a connective tissue at the ends of bones (where it is known as
aricular cartilage). It separates bones so that they do not grind
together, causing stiffness and pain. Cartilage also serves as a shock
absorber. Briefly put, cartilage protects our bones from the wear and tear
of movement.

One way to think of cartilage is as a super sponger. It soaks up water
(more accurately, synovial fluid) when joint is at rest, and squeezes out
the water when a joint moves. As the joint rests again, it again soaks up
water. This spongelike effect of cartilage makes it a shock absorber,
buffering our bones and body from the wear and tear of making thousands of
movements per day. Cartilage is also slippery - five to eight times more
slippery than ice. Thus, when two bones do meet, the cartilage at the ends
of the bones allows them to slide off each other, adding to the buffering
effect.

The cartilage matrix

Cartilage is made up of three main components: Water (70 to 80 percent),
collagen, (10 to 15 percent), and proteoglycans (10 to 15 percent).
Combined, these are called the cartilage matrix. The cartilage matrix is
where new cartilage is born.

As we have seen, water provides cartilage with buffering qualities, and
also helps shape the "cartilage" sponge. It also feeds the cartilage.
Cartilage contains no blood vessels, so the soaking up and squeezing out of
water is what provides cartilage with nutrients.

Collagen also plays a role in giving cartilage its shape and resiliency,
and it also absorbs shock. Think of collagen as super strong threads that
create the framework to hold the third component of cartilage:
proteoglycans.

Proteoglycans are large water-soluble molecules. They are woven in among
the collagen threads, forming a kind of netting. This netting traps the
water. Proteoglycans also act like magnets. The individual molecules push
away from each other, again allowing for space and a buffering effect.

Finally, tiny factories called chondrocytes are located throughout this
netting. They produce new collagen and proteoglycans, as well as enzymes
that dispose of older, past-their-prime collagen and proteoglycans.

The Role of Glucosamine

Glucosamine stimulates chondrocytes to produce more collagen and
proteoglycans. The more glucosamine there is, the more collagen and
proteoglycans there are, and the more water can be absorbed. The end
result is healthier cartilage. Because of these properties, glucosamine
can help the body help itself repair damaged or eroded cartilage. It works
at the cellular level to reinforce our natural "repair" ability.

When things go wrong

As we age, the millions of movements we have made in our lives begin to
wear and tear on cartilage. Cartilage begins to deteriorate, and our bones
begin to rub together. This becomes noticeable around age 45, and often
happens in the fingers, knees, hips, neck, and lower back. Cartilage can
also be destroyed through trauma, injury, and repetitive actions.

When cartilage is damaged, the chondrocytes go into high gear,
manufacturing more proteoglycans and collagen. Unfortunately, these
replacements may be of inferior quality, or be overproduced, resulting in
bumpy joint surfaces. Chondrocytes also produce more of the enzymes that
"eat away" old matter. These enzymes may being attacking new, inferior
cartilage, with an end result of diminished cartilage, not more cartilage.
This also may result in fewer proteoglycans, which means the cartilage
cannot hold water well. The cartilage can then dry out and wear out more
quickly.

The result is that we begin to feel our bones rubbing together during
movement. We experience pain and stiffness.

What to do

One way to counter the deterioration and destruction of cartilage is to
increase the amount of glucosamine your body has - remember, glucosamine
helps the body build and repair damaged cartilage. Glucosamine is not only
a "builder" but also a painkiller. In sum, it improves joint function and
reduces pain. It makes no difference whether it comes from foods we eat or
from supplements.

Proof Positive

Many clinical trials have demonstrated that glucosamine results in less
pain due to cartilage deterioration and a wider range of movement.

The first studies were performed in the 1960s, using injectable forms of
glucosamine sulfate. When glucosamine sulfate became available in pill
form, researched switched to this.

Up to the present, most glucosamine studies have been performed outside of
North America. In all off these studies, glucosamine sulfate proves to
maintain joint health.

* An early study in Italy found that 20 percent of those using glucosamine
sulfate became "symptom-free." Nearly 25 percent had no restriction of
active or passive movement. The researchers concluded that glucosamine
sulfate rebuilt damaged cartilage. Clinical Therapeutics 3, no. 4
(1980): 226-272.

* A large-scale study looked at over 1,200 patients with osteoarthritis.
Results show that pain decreased throughout the trial, that both active and
passive movement improved, and that glucosamine proved to work for six to
12 weeks after treatment had stopped. Pharmatherapeutics 3, no. 3
(1982): 157-168.

* In a study comparing glucosamine sulfate to the pain reliever ibuprofen,
the ibuprofen proved more effective the first two weeks, but then faded.
After eight weeks, the glucosamine sulfate group reported better results.
Current Medical Research and Opinion 8, no. 3 (1982): 145-149.

* More recently, Italian researchers found glucosamine to be more effective
than placebos or traditional NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
in treating osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 5, Supplement
A (1997): 82.


Nutritional Info:

AIM Frame Essentials™ contains two types of glucosamine - glucosamine sulfate
and glucosamine hydrochloride (HCL) with methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and
boswellin extract.

Glucosamine

Glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine HCL are forms of glucosamine.
Glucosamine makes up 63 percent of glucosamine sulfate and 83 percent of
glucosamine HCL. Most human studies have used glucosamine sulfate. This
is because the company that paid for the research developed this form.
Glucosamine HCL has not been evaluated as extensively, but clinical
experience from a variety of health practitioners indicates that
glucosamine HCL works just as well. Many health practitioners recommend
trying one, and it that does not work, trying the other. AIM Frame Essentials™
gives you both of these at once.

MSM (methylsulfonylmethane)

MSM is a biologically active form of the mineral sulfur. Sulfur is the
fourth most plentiful mineral in the body and is found in every cell of the
body. Sulfur plays a particularly important role in tissue structure. MSM
is naturally present in foods and the human body. MSM has been used by
veterinarians for more than 15 years, and use by humans goes back some 20
years.

The formation of MSM begins when marine algae release sulfur compounds that
are transformed in ocean water into a substance known as dimethyl sulfide
(DMS). DMS rises into the atmosphere where it is transformed into DMSO
(dimethyl sulfoxide) and MSM. These compounds are returned by rainwater to
the earth, where they are absorbed by plants.

MSM contributes to healthy joints because, as a form of sulfur, it adds to
the benefits of glucosamine. It may aid glucosamine in its role in
maintaining healthy cartilage as well as in helping to maintain joint
flexibility and mobility. Many glucosamine users experience increased
benefits when adding MSM to their supplement regimen.

Boswellin Extract

Boswellia serrata (Indian frankincense) has been used for centuries
in the Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine to maintain healthy joints.
This is still one of its main uses.

Boswellic acids improve blood supply to the joints and maintain the
integrity of blood vessels. At least one study has indicated that they may
open up collateral blood circulation to provide adequate blood supply to
the joints.

Boswellic acids have been known to reduce joint swelling, maintain blood
supply to inflamed joints, maintain mobility, and reduce pain due to
stiffness in the joints. They also have no side effects.


Directions:

For optimal benefits, take 2 tablets in the morning and 2 tablets in the
evening, for a total of 4 tablets per day. Best taken with meals. After
experiencing the desired results, take 1 tablet in the morning and 1 tablet
in the evening for maintenance.


FAQ:

May children and pregnant women take AIM Frame Essentials™? If so, in what
amounts?

There should be no reason for children to be using this product. Pregnant
women should consult a health practitioner.

What is the source of the glucosamine in AIM Frame Essentials™?

The source of the glucosamine is marine shellfish.

May I take AIM Frame Essentials™ with other AIM products?

Yes, you may. You may experience positive synergy between AIM Frame Essentials™
and other AIM products.

May I take AIM Frame Essentials™ with other medications?

There are no indications that glucosamine interacts with other medications.
Of course, you should always consult a health practitioner when adding new
substances to your regimen.

Is glucosamine actually absorbed?

Yes, in one study on glucosamine sulfate in pill form, 90 percent of the
glucosamine was absorbed.

How does glucosamine compare to products such as Tylenol and ibuprofen?

There is no doubt that products such as these provide rapid relief.
However, studies have shown that after four weeks of use, glucosamine is as
effective or more effective than these products in providing relief from
joint problems.

Does AIM Frame Essentials™ have any side effects?

Glucosamine is safe. A few people have reported stomach upset and nausea.
In a year of formal testing of glucosamine, no significant side effects
were found.

This product data sheet is reproduced with the permission of AIM International, © 1999