Cartilage as a therapeutic supplement
Cartilage is a resilient connective tissue found in various parts of the body, including the nose and ears, and serves as a key component in joint function. As a therapeutic supplement, it has been proposed primarily for managing osteoarthritis, with chondroitin, a component of cartilage, being popular in Europe for this purpose. The most common sources of cartilage supplements are bovine (cow) and shark cartilage. While shark cartilage has been marketed as a potential cancer treatment due to its anti-angiogenic properties—which may inhibit the formation of blood vessels that feed tumors—scientific evidence has largely failed to support these claims. Additionally, cartilage has been suggested for use in treating minor wounds, psoriasis, and joint pain, although more rigorous studies are needed to validate these applications. Current research is exploring innovative approaches like stem cell therapy and 3D printing for cartilage regeneration, indicating a growing interest in the potential of cartilage in healing and recovery. Although generally considered safe, there have been rare reports of adverse effects, such as liver inflammation, linked to shark cartilage supplements.
Cartilage as a therapeutic supplement
DEFINITION: Natural substance in the body of humans and other animals used as a supplement to treat specific health conditions.
PRINCIPAL PROPOSED USES: None
OTHER PROPOSED USES: Cancer treatment, minor wounds, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, joint issues
Overview
Cartilage is a tough connective tissue found in many parts of the body. Human ears and nose are made from cartilage, as are the gliding surface in human joints.
One constituent of cartilage, chondroitin, is widely used in Europe to treat osteoarthritis. Cartilage itself has also been proposed as a treatment for osteoarthritis.
The most commonly used forms of cartilage come from cows (bovine cartilage) and sharks. Provocative evidence suggested that shark cartilage might have some value in cancer treatment. The health benefits of shark cartilage have long been touted in traditional Chinese medicine. However, properly designed studies have so far failed to find benefits.
Requirements and Sources
The preferred source of cartilage is a health-food store or pharmacy, where the supplements can be purchased in pill or powdered form.
Therapeutic Dosages
Various doses of cartilage have been used in different studies, ranging from 2.5 milligrams to 60 grams daily.
Therapeutic Uses
Based on the belief that sharks do not get cancer, shark cartilage has been heavily marketed as a cure for cancer. Although this justification is a myth (sharks do get cancer), shark cartilage has shown some promise for cancer treatment. Shark cartilage (like other forms of cartilage) contains substances that tend to inhibit angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels). This effect might be beneficial because cancers must build new blood vessels to feed themselves. Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies on special formulations of shark cartilage for cancer treatment were conducted. It has also been suggested that the anti-angiogenic properties of shark cartilage may make it helpful for psoriasis, but this hypothesis has not undergone proper study.
Shark cartilage also inhibits substances called matrix metalloproteases (MMPs). These little-understood enzymes affect the “extracellular matrix,” the framework of substances between cells in the body. MMPs are thought to play a role in diseases of the cornea, gums, skin, blood vessels, and joints, as well as cancer and illnesses that involve excessive fibrous tissue. On this basis, shark cartilage has been proposed for a wide variety of medical conditions, from cataracts to scleroderma; however, no meaningful studies confirm whether it offers any benefit. Further, the consumption of shark cartilage has had devastating effects on the shark population worldwide and is considered a wasteful and environmentally-damaging practice.
Cartilage, in general, has been proposed as a treatment for the common “wear and tear” type of arthritis known as osteoarthritis. The idea behind this is straightforward: because osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints and cartilage is one of the elements that make up the joints, adding cartilage to the diet might help. This idea sounds a bit too simplistic to be believable, but it is the same principle behind using glucosamine and chondroitin (specific substances found in joints) for osteoarthritis. Since well-designed studies have found those treatments effective, perhaps cartilage itself will ultimately be proven to work. However, while studies of glucosamine, chondroitin, and supplementation with collagen have shown benefits, more studies of cartilage must be performed.
Finally, highly preliminary studies hint that cartilage may help heal minor wounds, skin issues like psoriasis, and bowel inflammation. Cartilage may also help patients manage pain. The study of cartilage is also part of the future of scientific research. Scientists are working on using stem cells to regenerate cartilage tissue and enabling the 3D printing of synthetic cartilage to help with joint repair.
Scientific Evidence
Several test-tube experiments have found that shark cartilage extracts prevent new blood vessels from forming in chick embryos and other test systems. As mentioned, this effect could conceivably mean that shark cartilage might fight cancer. These findings have led to other test-tube experiments, animal studies, and preliminary human trials to investigate the possible anticancer effects of shark cartilage. The results suggest that a particular liquid shark cartilage extract might be useful in the treatment of various cancers, including lung, prostate, and breast cancer. However, not all studies have been positive.
In any case, only double-blind, placebo-controlled trials can provide conclusive data. The only reported studies of this type on shark cartilage for cancer failed to find benefit. Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have found benefits in the supplementation of cartilage for joint issues.
Safety Issues
Because cartilage is just common, ordinary gristle, it is presumably safe to consume. However, for reasons that are not clear, there is a report of an individual who developed liver inflammation after taking shark cartilage supplements. He recovered fully when the supplements were discontinued.
Bibliography
"Cartilage." Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/cartilage. Accessed 14 Sept. 2024.
"Cartilage Injury and Repair - Fact Sheets." Yale Medicine, www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/cartilage-injury-and-repair. Accessed 14 Sept. 2024.
"Cartilage Regeneration Clinic - Johns Hopkins Division of Sports Medicine." Johns Hopkins Medicine, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/orthopaedic-surgery/specialty-areas/cartilage-regeneration. Accessed 14 Sept. 2024.
"Glucosamine." Mayo Clinic, 10 Aug. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-glucosamine/art-20362874. Accessed 14 Sept. 2024.
Loprinzi, C., et al. "Evaluation of Shark Cartilage in Patients with Advanced Cancer." Cancer, vol. 104, no. 1, 2005, pp. 176-182.