Joint pain sufferers aren’t all athletes or or nurses, normal people whose joints have started to rebel after ordinary activities. As the population ages, more and more people are looking for support to help their joints work better, last longer and make it just a little bit easier to get up in the morning.
There were 40.3 million Americans aged 65 or older — or 13% of the population — in the 2010 US census. In the 10 years between censuses, the 60–64 age group increased by 55.6%, followed by the 55–59 age group, which increased by 46.0%.1 As that population grows, their ability to maintain an active lifestyle declines. Strength and balance training for older adults has proven to be vital in preventing falls.2
And staying physically active is an important part of staying mentally active, which allows them to stay in their careers longer, whether by choice or necessity.3 According to the 2010 census data, the number of workers who were 65 and older in the labour force rose to 16%, up from 12% in 1990.4 But how do you keep doing everything when it hurts to do anything?
Natural versus OTC Medication: Expanding Options
Modern pain relief has moved beyond the traditional “take two aspirin and call me in the morning” approach. It’s not just about blocking pain; people are looking for ways to keep their joints feeling better and working longer by keeping their joints healthier. There’s a growing population using products with natural ingredients.5 And that raises the question: if joints work better and feel better, is pain relief actually necessary?
“We’re seeing a transformation in the natural ingredients industry when it comes to joint health and support,” says Allen Levine, partner with Ford Levine Sales Group, which specialises in US and international sales representation for natural product companies. “It’s not just about pain relief, it’s about staying healthy longer. People want healthy, natural alternatives. And they are looking for new, efficacious products for joint support. There is a growing global market for egg membrane products. It’s so easy to explain where egg membrane comes from, it’s easy to see how it helps … and for consumers to actually feel that it helps.”
| Egg Membrane Makes Both Work and Leisure Enjoyable Again |
| St Louis fireman David Hill took 450 mg of BiovaFlex daily for two months to help combat his painful joints. After 35 years of climbing ladders and high-rise stairwells, dragging hoses and the occasional foray onto the hockey rink and softball field, the pain in Hill’s knees and ankles was almost too much to bear. |
| “Within a week after starting to take BiovaFlex, I noticed less pain and more flexibility in all my joints, but especially my knees,” Hill says. “After 2 months, I was contemplating getting back on the ball diamond. I am convinced that BiovaFlex is responsible for my improved range of motion and increase in activity. Before BiovaFlex, I had forgotten what it meant to be pain free.” |
The growing body of research substantiates nutrient-rich egg membrane as a strong component of joint and connective tissue health. A 2009 study shows that people who took 450 mg of BiovaFlex egg membrane daily for six weeks had an 8.2% decrease in pain after seven days and a 16.42% decrease after two weeks. By the study’s end, subjects were reporting a 20% decrease in pain.6 Study participants also reported a 37.8% increase in knee flexibility by the end of the 6-week period.7
“Perhaps more significant is recent unpublished BiovaFlex research that continues to show significant results for those consuming the ingredient,” said Matt Stegenga, Biova’s Director of Marketing. “It’s becoming clear there may be a cumulative effect of egg membrane nutrient uptake with time. Emerging evidence also indicates that BiovaFlex consumption significantly impacts overall positive systemic health markers. We’re committed to ongoing research to define egg membrane’s potential.”
What Makes Egg Membrane Special?
Egg membrane could be the answer to an ageing population’s quest for the latest ingredient that works. And for many reasons, BiovaFlex — Biova’s egg membrane ingredient — is easily the best of the egg membrane ingredients currently on the market. First, BiovaFlex egg membrane is the only egg membrane product with a market-leading uniform protein profile of 88%.
“The science indicates bioactivity is tied to the natural, non-denatured egg membrane matrix,” said Stegenga. “The primary composition of this matrix is a natural ratio of complex proteins, including glycosaminoglycans, collagen, elastin, desmosine, isodesmosine and transforming growth factor. This is important for the efficacy of our customer's products.”
Almost all of the nutrients naturally occurring in egg membrane have been shown to support joint health and flexibility. And because of BiovaFlex’s standardization, 450 mg contains enough of these nutrients to be effective.8
Almost all of the nutrients naturally occurring in egg membrane have been shown to support joint health and flexibility
For example, collagen is one egg membrane matrix nutrient recognised to support joint health. As we grow older and our natural collagen production slows, we discover our tendons, ligaments, cartilage and skin pay the price.9 In a 1993 double-blind study, collagen (Type II, from chicken sternum) was shown to decrease the number of swollen and tender joints in patients with arthritis during a 3 month period; patients receiving a placebo showed no such improvement.10 BiovaFlex contains greater than 15% collagen (Types I, V, and X) sourced exclusively from egg membrane — which means no animals are harmed during this ingredient’s production. An interesting side note: Biova’s BiovaDerm ingredient, also with this naturally occurring collagen matrix, is shown to help skin look more healthy and toned, with up to a 60% decrease in the appearance of wrinkles.11
Elastin, another major component of egg membrane, allows human tissue to retain its shape when pinched, stretched or contracted.12 It’s the desmosine and isodesmosine that contribute to elastin’s rubbery properties and stimulate the body’s production of more.13 BiovaFlex egg membrane contains greater than 20% elastin.
Glycosaminoglycans also are an integral part of joint cartilage and other connective tissues. They are the building blocks for chondrocytes, which rebuild damaged cartilage.14 BiovaFlex contains not less than 5% of glycosaminoglycans, and more typically double that amount. Egg membrane also contains transforming growth factor, which studies show plays a crucial role in tissue repair, cellular differentiation and immune function.15
Not All Egg Membranes Are Created Equal
Another great benefit of BiovaFlex is the fact that it offers multiple delivery options. Biova’s egg membrane is the only water-soluble one in the world. Natural product manufacturers can choose from a variety of delivery options for their egg membrane nutraceutical joint support products. Using Biova’s patented Hydro5 process, BiovaFlex can be used in once daily 450 mg tablets or capsules.16 But BiovaFlex can also easily be added to sports drinks, gummies, nutrition bars, powder packets or a wide variety of other delivery options. Water solubility expands the use of egg membrane and allows joint health products manufacturers an almost endless number of options for their products.
“Biova’s hydrolysed water-soluble eggshell membrane is a unique and relatively new supplement ingredient that can be used in a wide variety of product offerings,” said Dr John Minatelli, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Valensa International, a formulator of the multi-ingredient joint healthcare product FlexPro ES, which contains BiovaFlex. “When we reviewed the preclinical and clinical efficacy of hydrolysed water-soluble eggshell membrane as a standalone ingredient, we knew we wanted to offer a variety of products combining BiovaFlex with other active ingredients to further enhance efficacy.
“No matter how we use it, in a capsule, tablet, powder or even a soft chew gummy, the standardized ingredient profile of BiovaFlex means that it will always be effective. That uniqueness, flexibility and consistent standardised profile is why we chose Biova’s hydrolysed water-soluble eggshell membrane for our use in new product development.”
Benefits of the Clear Choice
Besides the fact that BiovaFlex works, egg membrane is completely sustainable and a green product. It doesn’t come from endangered exotic animals, threatened environments or rare, non-sustainable plants. It comes from common chicken eggshells, previously considered to be a useless byproduct of the US liquid egg industry. Egg membrane is removed from eggshells using Biova’s OvaPure, a patented ecofriendly process.17 Instead of being transported by the millions to fill landfills, eggshells are processed into a safe, environmentally friendly, US-produced ingredient with the potential to help millions of people.18
Although people with egg allergies should consult a healthcare professional before using an egg membrane product, there have been no adverse results reported from its use.19 Egg membrane was tested for allergenicity, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and acute oral toxicity, and research results showed egg membrane is safe for human consumption.
Moving freely and without discomfort is vital to maintaining a desired quality of life in an ageing population
Joint health is — and will continue to be — an increasing problem as an ageing, more active population demands a natural solution to aid in joint support and flexibility. Egg membrane answers that demand. Egg membrane doesn’t contain just one nutrient believed to benefit joints: it naturally contains several of the current nutrients believed to provide joint assistance. After Biova applies its patented process removing the membrane from the shell, the entire range of proteins, antioxidants, amino acids and other vital nutrients abundant in egg membrane are fully retained in every dose of BiovaFlex.20 This ingredient is also water-soluble, which makes BiovaFlex unique and desirable in the growing egg membrane market.
Moving freely and without discomfort is vital to maintaining a desired quality of life in an ageing population. Although natural joint health ingredients are common and readily available, few, if any, have shown BiovaFlex’s emerging results, safety and applicational ease of use. Biova's water-soluble egg membrane may just be the next generation joint health support ingredient, helping keep millions of people’s joints mobile, flexible and functioning.
References
1. United Health Foundation, America’s Health Rankings, “2013 Senior Report, United States Overview,” unitedhealthfoundation.org.
2. P.F. Adams, et al., “Summary Health Statistics for the US Population: National Health Interview Survey, 2010,” Vital Health Stat. 10, 251 (2011).
3. L.C. Yorston, G.S. Kolt and R.R. Rosenkranz, “Physical Activity in Older Adults: The 45 and Up Study,” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 60(4), 719–725 (2012).
4. United States Census Bureau, “American Community Survey,” www.census.gov.
5. J Gahche, et al., “Dietary Supplement Use Among US Adults has Increased Since NHANES III (1988–1994),” National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief (April 2011).
6. ST&T Consulting, “BiovaFlex: An Ingestible Egg Shell Membrane for the Treatment of Knee Associated Musculoskeletal Pain and Stiffness,” Biova LLC Private Collection (10 July 2009).
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. J. Nordqvist, “What is Collagen?” Medical News Today (MediLexicon, Int., July 2013).
10. D. Trentham, et al., “Effects of Oral Administration of Type II Collagen on Rheumatoid Arthritis,” Science 261(5119), 1727–1730 (1993).
11. ST&T Consulting, “BiovaDerm: A Topical Egg Shell Membrane for Aged and Sun Damaged Skin,” Biova LLC Private Collection (July 2009).
12. L. Debelle and A.M. Tamburro, “Elastin: Molecular Description and Function,” Int. J. Biochem. Cell Biol. 31(2), 261–272 (1999).
13. R.A. Anwar, “Elastin: A Brief Review,” Biochemical Education 18, 162–166 (1990).
14. H.M. van Beuningen, et al., “Transforming Growth Factor-Beta 1 Stimulates Articular Chondrocyte Proteoglycan Synthesis and Induces Osteophyte Formation in the Murine Knee Joint,” Lab. Invest. 71(2), 279–290 (1994).
15. M.E. Brandes, et al., “Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 Suppresses Acute and Chronic Arthritis in Experimental Animals,” Journal of Clinical Investigation 87(3), 1108–1130 (1991).
16. US Patent 8211477 (2009).
17. US Patent 7584909 (2009).
18. Biova Commissioned Allergen and Safety Studies: University of Nebraska — Lincoln; Food Allergy Research and Resource Program (February 2008); ST&T LLC (January 2009, July 2009).
19. Ibid.
20. US Patent 7584909 (2009).
These statements have not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
