> Osteoarthritis occurs when a joint is stressed by aging, injury or obesity. The chondrocytes begin to release pro-inflammatory molecules and to break down collagen, which is the primary structural protein of cartilage. When collagen is lost, the cartilage thins and softens; the accompanying inflammation causes the joint swelling and pain that are hallmarks of the disease.
Collagen synthesis in the human body can be aided by hydrolyzed collagen, Vitamin C, zinc and copper.
Among endurance athletes collagen supplements have become increasingly popular the past couple years -- from what I understand the evidence is kind of mixed though
I don't get what's the supposed mechanism of action here. Collagen is a hard to digest protein and it has to get digested to be processed and then it's no longer collagen. Why not just eat any other protein source instead?
Yes, that seems to sort of be the criticism and mixed results. Although not everyone has a complete protein diet so theoretically although it breaks down the idea is you then have all the things you need, should your body choose to use it to build collagen.
But I agree, I'd rather start solving deficiencies at the diet level than the supplement level and haven't integrated collagen personally so far.
TBH I suspect marketing plays a big role. "Collagen = good, therefore just buy it and eat it" makes logical sense if you don't actually do any research first.
Likely yes, but I've had enough chicken breast for life during my fit 20s. I just don't feel like stuffing myself with tasteless sources of protein anymore and testy ones (burgers, steaks, grilled salmon, etc.) will cause unwanted side effects and risks when consumed in high amounts.
Even bodybuilders and powerlifters admit that 2g protein per kg of body weight is about all you need. You can get that with a normal diet and a couple of protein shakes, which taste fine if you use milk and half a banana. You don't need to eat a whole chicken breast for every meal.
I made spaghetti bolognese last night and it had 60 grams of protein per 800 kcal serve. Admittedly I used lean kangaroo mince, because I'm Australian and it was on sale. Still: three meals like that and you wouldn't even need a protein shake.
Maybe, maybe not. It would depend on a variety of factors including the activities you do, your age, etc. Maybe athletes need more collagen compared to people who don’t exercise, etc, etc.
Also complete protein sources are definitely not easy to get. Good luck if you have dietary constraints.
I just wish whey was as easy to get unflavored. Let me handle the flavoring, you provide the protein.
Yes, I'm aware you can buy unflavored whey protein, but it's more expensive and you have to order it online. I can get a huge tub of "Delicious quadruple chocolate delight" BS from Costco for comparative pennies.
You need to eat a ton of quinoa. Only the most dedicated vegan bodybuilder will eat that much quinoa. No thanks.
Also, only animal sources contain hydroxyproline amino acid in significant amounts, which you pretty much only get from collagen sources.
So while quinoa and other like even whey might advertise themselves as complete protein sources, no, they do not contain all the amino acids humans can use in significant amounts.
Hydroxyproline isn't essential though, humans can produce their need from collagen, which they also produce as well as most other animals.
> You need to eat a ton of quinoa
Most don't: at 4.4% protein, a 65kg man like me needs 1.5kg of cooked quinoa per day and it's not a big deal:
- You'll digest it like a king: quinoa is full of soluble and insoluble fibers and you won't feel puffy for eating too much. Easy in, easy out.
- Like milk or wheat, there's many transformations possible like flour, flakes, marinades, beverages, soups... alway a joy to cook and eat, no boredom with that grain.
Can't speak for the bodybuilders though but I'm sure most manage they nutrition. I think soy/pea is more popular.
By the way, very few eats only quinoa or any other single aliment. They also get amino acids from grains, pulses and seeds... even fruits like tomatoes but it's obviously negligible.
Quinoa is also fulled with minerals, vitamins and it's proteins have the same biological value (BV) as beef - or more depending on the source.
> its high-quality protein, complete set of amino-acids, and high content of minerals and vitamins. [0]
> exceptional balance between oil, protein and fat [1]
> Quinoa has a high biological value (73%), similar to that of beef (74%) [2]
There are plenty of studies showing that collagen supplementation helps athletes. Which means there are cases where the body doesn’t produce enough collagen for itself. And as you age, your body produces less collagen. Reasons enough to supplement with collagen.
Keith Baar's videos on YT have helped me a lot; both for treating my knee pain and for increasing overall muscle strength. The videos tell you how to heal or strengthen your tendons, ligaments, and muscles.
I found that second link interesting although it raised the question of why gelatin versus amino acids in general.
However neither link seems to have anything to do with UC Davis or biochemical mechanisms related to collagen supplementation. I realize that it probably wasn't your intent but the mismatch leaves me feeling vaguely as though you tried to deceive me there.
I don't remember the exact link for the biochem stuff. Something about collagen being glycine limited and vitamin C being a catalyst for synthesis for tendon tissue regrowth.
What advice would you give to a younger L. E. Modesitt, Jr. at the beginning of his writing career?
> I wouldn’t even try. I like where I am, but getting here was so unplanned that any advice given to me at that age likely would have ruined me or made the journey seem so impossible that I might not have even tried.
The smallest capsule of pregabalin/lyrica is 25mg. After reducing to that minimum, it still took months of further tapering by dividing capsules, before withdrawal symptoms ended in one elderly patient. Pregabalin suppresses nausea, which means nausea is a symptom of withdrawal, requiring ginger tablets or other anti-nausea assistance during tapering.
> An investigation by The Sunday Times has revealed that pregabalin has the fastest-rising death toll of any drug in the UK, based on figures compiled from official data across all regions. It is detected in a third of all drug-related deaths. In 2012, pregabalin was indicated in nine fatalities. A decade later, in 2022, the number had risen to 779, with almost 3,400 deaths in the past five years.
Yet sadly it is still on the market. Is there a number of deaths that are enough?
There is also this small 2016 study:
"Interference with neuronal development
Pregnancy outcome following maternal exposure to pregabalin may call for concern
ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate pregnancy outcomes following maternal use of pregabalin.
Methods: This multicenter, observational prospective cohort study compared pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to pregabalin with those of matched controls (not exposed to any medications known to be teratogenic or to any antiepileptic drugs). Teratology Information Services systematically collected data between 2004 and 2013.
Results: Data were collected from 164 exposed pregnancies and 656 controls. A significantly higher major birth defect rate in the pregabalin group was observed after exclusion of chromosomal aberration syndromes, and when cases with exposure during first trimester of pregnancy were analyzed separately (7/116 [6.0%] vs 12/580 [2.1%]; odds ratio 3.0, 95% confidence interval 1.2–7.9, p = 0.03). The rate of live births was lower in the pregabalin group (71.9% vs 85.2%, p < 0.001), primarily due to a higher rate of both elective (9.8% vs 5.0%, p = 0.02) and medically indicated (5.5% vs 1.8%, p = 0.008) pregnancy terminations. In the Cox proportional cause specific hazards model, pregabalin exposure was not associated with a significantly higher risk of spontaneous abortion.
Conclusions: This study demonstrated a signal for increased risk of major birth defects after first trimester exposure to pregabalin. However, several limitations such as the small sample size, differences across groups in maternal conditions, and concomitant medication exposure exclude definitive conclusions, so these results call for confirmation through independent studies."
In theory, LLMs could review more sources for a personalized risk assessment. But a brief query on this subject yielded generic responses from multiple LLMs :(
I've seen AI recommended things like Fluoroquinolones (Avalox, Cipro, Levaquin etc), for UTIs.
The FDA itself says this class of drugs work no better than a placebo for UTIs, Sinusitis and Bronchitis. While they cause life altering side effects. They 'Flox' people.
My late wife's Journal was part of the evidence during a 2015 FDA hearing to get this crap off the market.
The bottom line is that AI can not be trusted for Medical Advice.
Be highly suspicious of a Human doctor recommending a drug in this class, that has so many Black Box Warnings.
The widespread use of Gabapentin and Pregabalin to treat neuropathy is off-label their original function as anti-convulsant and anti-psychotic meds. In addition to the documented negative side effects, withdrawal by elderly patients from extended use can be difficult, even with months of tapering. They can negatively affect memory and cognition.
> Gabapentin, sold under the brand name Neurontin among others, is an anticonvulsant medication primarily used to treat neuropathic pain and also for partial seizures of epilepsy.. is [ONLY] moderately effective: about 30–40% of those given gabapentin for diabetic neuropathy or postherpetic neuralgia have a meaningful benefit.
Those with peripheral neuropathy should audit the total amount of Vitamin B6 in their diet and daily supplements. Try to keep the daily amount below 10mg. There have not yet been lawsuits to add bottle label warnings, but Australian regulators have issued a safety warning.
> Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is in lots of multivitamin and mineral supplements that can be bought in supermarkets, health food shops and pharmacies without a prescription. Many people are not aware that vitamin B6 can cause peripheral neuropathy, which results in tingling, burning or numbness usually in the hands and feet. Taking vitamin B6 even at low doses can cause peripheral neuropathy but people are more likely to get it if they are taking more than one supplement.
Not that I know of? But, I have also not been watching that market for a long long time.
I am actually somewhat interested on building a small speaker thing that I can load a VXML document on and start adding use cases to it. Especially after considering how much I could save by dropping all of my current subscription stuff.
> Identify or find objects with Alexa+.. use the camera on Echo Show devices to identify objects and get help with daily tasks. For example, reorder pantry items by showing them to the new Alexa, ask Alexa to identify a type of plant and its care instructions and set reminders for when it needs to get watered, or get fashion or décor ideas. This new feature is particularly game changing for people who are blind or have low vision
This has so much potential, but it will require a workflow for Alexa to learn about specific objects and layout (of multiple objects) within the customer's home. Apple's "live audio descriptions of video" had similar promise at launch, but hasn't evolved beyond the launch demo, https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/iphone/iph32deb9296/18.... Could Alexa+ enable self-service RLHF on home video/images?
It's a testament to the latent market opportunity that Amazon has sold 500+ million devices, despite the obstacles that greet customers trying to customize Alexa for their specific needs. With open developer interfaces, Alexa could have been the "IBM PC" of voice AI, instead of just another walled garden.
Collagen synthesis in the human body can be aided by hydrolyzed collagen, Vitamin C, zinc and copper.