Which nutritional supplements can you give to your pet?

Just as many pet parents are paying more attention these days to the quality of food they feed their companion animals, they are also realizing the potential benefits of nutritional supplements.

Supplements are becoming more and more recognized as a valuable component of a comprehensive care program for pets.

The primary categories for supplements include joint support, skin and coat health, GI tract health, and liver and kidney support. A less well-known but equally important type of supplement supports healthy circulation, optimal immune function, the healthy presence of oxygen in tissues, and cardiovascular health.

Pets and your health

The strength of the human animal bond has been known for a long time, but scientific studies were only conducted fairly recently.
The very first study was published only about 40 years ago when 2 American psychology researchers measured what happens physically when a person pets a friendly and familiar dog. They found that the person's blood pressure lowered, heart rate slowed, breathing became more regular and muscle tension relaxed-all of which are signs of reduced stress.

Return to sports after knee surgery, is it possible?

Whether you are a top athlete or an amateur, it will happen to you do one day or later: you will have a sports injury.
One of the most common dramatic sports injuries is a torn anterior cruciate ligament, abbreviated to ACL.

When you tear your anterior cruciate ligament or ACL your knee swells with blood. When the knee swells, that triggers a cascade of events which causes you to lose quadriceps strength. In addition you will notice that your thigh looks a lot smaller than the other one. That is due to atrophy of the quadriceps which occurs after an ACL injury.

In addition to the loss of quadriceps strength and atrophy which accompanies an ACL tear you will also notice loss of motion and in most cases a fair amount of pain.

Many athletes choose to have ACL surgery to improve their chance of returning to the same level of performance as they had before.
The sad reality is that many athletes can not return to sports after ACL surgery. The reasons for this vary. As such, there is a lot of research taking place to improve your chance for a successful return to sports after an ACL reconstruction.

But first the question whether ACL surgery should be done.

Glucosamine for healthy joints and gut

Glucosamine is a compound naturally found within the cartilage of our joints, made from chains of sugars and proteins bound together. It acts as one of the body’s natural shock-absorbents and joint lubricants, allowing us to move around without joint, bone and muscle pains.

Glucosamine possesses natural anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. One of the most popular supplements taken by people with bone and joint pain, glucosamine aids in treating common symptoms of age-related disorders like arthritis and osteoarthritis.
It can also help improve digestion and gut health, mobility, range of motion and general joint health, even in healthy people who have no chronic joint or bowel disorders.

Without glucosamine, everyday movements and tasks would be very difficult and painful. The body needs glucosamine for the synthesis of certain proteins and fats that form various important tissues, especially cartilage. This plays an important part in the construction of our joints, tendons and ligaments. In addition, it helps form the (synovial) fluids that surround joints and provide lubrication.
Glucosamine also serves an important role in microbial health. It helps form connective tissue that make up parts of the digestive tract, a system that helps the immune system function.

Why are we so much less flexible when we age?

We cannot stop but smile at how adorable babies and toddlers look when they move: they may be clumsy but their little bodies can bend as if they have no bones to stop their amazing range of motion. The reason is these toddlers have a very high amount of collagen in their joints.