One day while delivering mail to International
Innovations Natural Health and Beauty in Whitley
Bay, he spotted a article and testimonial from
James Greenwell, Captain of the Great Britain
Modern Pentathlon Team, extolling the benefits
he has received from taking the Pure-Col 100%
pure collagen capsules for his sore and troublesome
Achilles tendon.
Alan decided to purchase a 3-month course of
Pure-Col capsules and within just one week was
delighted to notice a significant improvement
in his condition. Now months on he has managed
to persuade his wife Marilyn, who was sceptical
at first to take the capsules as she has suffered
badly for years from arthritic fingers and spondylitis.
Marilyn also is pleased to say she has received
benefits and recommends others to try a 3 -
6 month course.
The claim that Collagen can stimulate the growth
of new cartilage in joints is borne out by recent
medical studies which say that patients with
arthritic or damaged joints showed improvement
in mobility and pain relief when taking the
supplement. A laboratory study has also shown
that collagen can stimulate the growth of new
cartilage tissue. Collagen is the most abundant
protein in the body at about 33 per cent. It
is present in bones, joints, muscle and other
connective tissue.
Scientists believe that in some people, particularly
the elderly, its production slows down or stops.
Collagen supplements seem to perform the same
role as natural collagen in keeping the tissue
in joints healthy and supple.
Doctor Stefan Oesser of the Kiel University
in Germany, published research which demonstrated
that by adding collagen to cartilage tissue,
it was possible to encourage extra cells to
grow. "This is the first time anyone has demonstrated
that collagen has this effect on cartilage and
backs up anecdotal evidence and patient trials,"
he says. "We are still trying to unravel why
collagen works this way. That might be difficult
to establish because there is a series of complex
interactions . But we have at last established
that it happens"
Research two years ago by Roland Moskowitz,
a professor of orthopaedics at Case Western
University in America, looked at 400 patients
with arthritic knees from U.S., Britain and
Germany. Some got placebo while others were
treated with collagen.
The latter group showed significant reduction
in pain and improvement in joint mobility, with
93 per cent achieving positive results, some
after only 2 weeks.
Dr Oesser a physiologist, says further research
due to be published later this year will add
the growing evidence that collagen is effective
in damaged joints. Meanwhile, Alan Percy is
convinced that collagen tablets helped his arthritic
type aches and pains in his back and his shoulders.
Alan said " I will continue taking them for
the rest of my life".
Chris Wilson, an orthopaedic consultant in
Cardiff, says a number of supplements, including
collagen, appear to work. " I have always had
an open mind about alternative treatments,"
he says " if a patient says he has pain relief
and movement after taking collagen, I am perfectly
prepared to believe it works."
"With arthritic pain, I don't think mainstream
medicine has all the answers, and I would encourage
patients to try treatments such as collagen
and glucosamine."
The Canadian manufacturers or Pure-Col have
been working with collagen for over 20 years
and they have a patented procedure where they
'work on Amino Acids' to ensure the absorption
rate is far higher than most other collagen
products, which does make it slightly more expensive
but you get the added benefits and know you
are taking a product that has a long term tried
and tested track record.
