Connective tissue is all over our bodies, and it plays a massively important role in making sure our tissues and organs are functioning optimally. It helps to support and connect bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and a lot more. Connective tissue is also responsible for making our bodies look beautiful and young. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that your connective tissue is as strong as it can be. Have a look at the essential nutrients you need to include in your diet to aid the development of stronger connective tissue support.
The most important nutrient for stronger connective tissue is Collagen. This is because it is the primary protein of all connective tissue in our bodies. A diet rich in collagen can help to reduce the various hair/skin problems that come with aging, as well as helping to maintain strong connective tissue.
The optimal way to get the right amount of collagen is through your diet. Bone broths and grass fed gelatin is particularly high in collagen. Additionally, foods such as fish, chicken, eggs, berries, bone broth, and garlic.
It isn’t always possible to get the optimal amount of Collagen from food sources, and therefore supplementation is a convenient way of making sure that you get enough. A daily whole food supplement can be the ideal way of supporting your Connective tissue. Collagen C contains a number of natural ingredients such as vitamin C, which are proven to support healthy connective tissue. Vitamin C plays a key role in maintaining healthy connective tissue and in accelerating bone repair.
Glucosamine
Another vital nutrient that helps to support healthy connective tissue is glucosamine. It is an amino sugar that is found within the cells of cartilage and other connective tissues. The body produces it and then proceeds to distribute it all around. Studies suggest that glucosamine helps to encourage cartilage matrix formation, reduces the breakdown of cartilage, and has a useful general anti-inflammatory effect. These properties make it a vital nutrient for connective tissues. Glucosamine can be found in bone broths and shells of shellfish.
Chondroitin
One of the most vital components of cartilage is chondroitin. This nutrient helps to give it a ‘bounce’ and ensures that it remains resistant to compression. The result is an increased tolerance for physical activities. It can be found in skate liver oil, and production can be helped by artichokes.
Sulfate
Chondroitin works directly with sulfate in the cartilage and helps with the integrity. It is also vital in the process of ‘sulfation’, which helps with cartilage repair and facilitates collagen production. Sulfate can be found in many foods, including; broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, cabbage, mustard, and eggs.
GAGs (glycosaminoglycans)
GAGs are a key component required for the building process of connective tissue. These GAGs link together to make even bigger molecules that form a vital part of connective tissue. Bone broths are a good source of GAGs.
Bioflavonoids
These nutrients play a key role in linking collagen fibers together, and this process helps to make the structure stronger. Additionally, they help to prevent the collagen breaking down. Bioflavonoids are found in high quantities within blueberries, blackberries, red grapes, eggplant, green tea, cherries, and nectarines.
Vitamin C
This vitamin helps build and repair collagen. It supports many bodily processes (such as immune activation) and plays a key role in biosynthesis. Bone healing can also be accelerated with the vitamin, and studies show that it can reduce the risk of cartilage loss and osteoporosis progression. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, papaya, spinach, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, broccoli, and pineapple. Additionally, there are a range of supplements that help to provide optimal levels of the vitamin.
Best Foods for Stronger Connective Tissue Support
There are a number of foods which contain the essential nutrients that help to promote the development and maintenance of strong connective tissue. Here are the foods that you should try and include in your diet.
- Bone Broth By far one of the best foods for maintaining connective tissue health is bone broth. It is naturally rich in collagen, and contains many essential ingredients that all play a key role in supporting healthy connective tissue.
- Fresh Vegetables Your diet should contain plenty of vegetables in general due to their fantastic makeup of vitamins and minerals. Another advantage of eating certain vegetables is that they have high levels of sulfate, which, as explained previously, is required for the process of sulfation. This process is essential for vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, cabbage, and onions contain large levels of sulfate.
- Turmeric This ingredient is a spice that is commonly used in Asian food. Turmeric contains two powerful compounds that help to protect joints and reduce inflammation. These are curcumin, which helps to reduce inflammation, and turmerone, which helps to promote cell growth in tissues. For therapeutic levels of turmeric, consider a high-quality, bioavailable supplement.
Connective tissue keeps our joints and ligaments moving along freely. The best way to keep this essential tissue strong and healthy is by providing it with the nutrients it needs.
At WholeBody Solutions, we are passionate about ensuring that people remain free from pain and free from the stress that comes with tissue related injuries. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about maintaining healthy connective tissue.
Opened more than 30-years ago by Dr. Ann Doggett, WholeBody Solutions is a holistic wellness center whose mission is to provide the community with safe, effective, and natural answers to health and wellness concerns. Our all-encompassing wellness center focuses on the following drug-free services: Nutrition, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, and Weight Loss. Our goal is quite simple – to make sick people well and to keep healthy people healthy. It’s that simple and that powerful.
