Baxyl bioactive hyaluronan by Cogent Solutions

Hyaluronan is necessary for human life. It is present from the very beginning, being essential for such
fundamental biological processes as ovulation and fertilization (Russell and Salustri 2006). Hyaluronan
also appears to be necessary for many processes that occur during prenatal development (Spicer and Tien 2004).
For example, high levels of hyaluronan synthesis are required for the development of many of our joints (Archer et al. 2003). Enzymes that make the precursors of hyaluronan are critical for normal development in other animals and are likely also necessary in humans (Vigetti et al. 2006).

Hyaluronan is necessary for joint function. Because it is abundant in synovial fluid — the viscous fluid found within joints such as knees and shoulders — hyaluronan cushions joints against impact. Hyaluronan forms the infrastructure that other molecules such as chondroitin sulfate must attach to in order to function properly. Moreover, hyaluronan serves as a renewal signal to cells in and around the joint so that they synthesize new components to replace those that inevitably wear out. In this way, hyaluronan plays both a structural and a functional role — anchoring critical joint structures while ensuring that new components, critical for proper function, are continually made.

Hyaluronan is broken down by repetitive motion, trauma and aging. The resulting smaller fragments of hyaluronan tend to promote inflammation. During recovery periods, newly-synthesized, larger molecules of hyaluronan keep inflammation in check. Oral supplementation with hyaluronan also keeps inflammation in check. The best available evidence is that oral hyaluronan is not subject to complete digestion in the gastrointestinal system. Instead, some hyaluronan is absorbed in much the same form as it is ingested and is transported to the vicinity of the joints. Supplementation with hyaluronan thus can stimulate the body to increase the production of its own hyaluronan in the tissues where it is most sorely needed to stave off inflammation and longer-term consequences such as osteoarthritis.

Over the past twenty years, the public became familiar with supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, for joint health. The public's experience with such products is mixed, but on balance positive, and there is some clinical data to support the use of such products. A large step forward has been taken with the development of oral hyaluronan supplements, which provide the same molecule that is used in costly joint injections administered to control inflammation. I recommend hyaluronan supplements to many of my patients experiencing joint pain or discomfort. My clinical experience with the supplement Baxyl™ is particularly favorable.

NSAIDs — including aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen, as well as the more recently introduced and highly controversial COX-2 inhibitors — are widely used by those experiencing pain or joint discomfort. The problem is that these drugs do not in general get at the root cause of the pain, which is deterioration of joint structure, leading to functional impairment and inflammation. While NSAIDs have their place in clinical practice, all evidence is that they are massively overused by the general public, which could benefit from better diet and exercise as well as nutritional supplementation, when necessary.