High quality joint supplements promote joint health and reduce pain naturally across cartilage, ligaments, tendons, bones and more. In this article, we show you the best joint supplement on the market today.
Joint supplements are more popular than ever this year.
People with active lifestyles want to strengthen joints, maintain flexibility, and get relief from occasional joint pain like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis alongside various aches and stiffness.
But now, more people are looking to avoid synthetic dietary supplements found over the counter to potentially alleviate joint pain. This is because products like this can cause stomach-related side effects, ulcer risks and serious adverse events.1
Even in natural products, many are switching their joint relief from an animal byproduct dietary supplement (from shellfish, bovine tissues, etc.) to vegan- and eco-friendly plant-based joint supplement alternatives.
As a result, today's best complementary and integrative health for joint supplements are cleaner and more effective than ever, helping to support, soothe, regenerate and lubricate joints for both daily performance and continued long-range health.
To learn more about how top joint supplements can reduce pain, promote flexibility and protect joint health over the long-term, read our detailed guide on the best joint supplement below!
See the Best Joint Supplement this year
Our Guide to the Best Individual Joint Support Supplements
Joint supplements this year feature new ingredient forms that are more powerful, formulated in novel combos to work in new ways.
The best joint supplement ingredients include the following products:
- Boswellia Serrata - Traditional herb with active AKBA that soothes joints and blocks joint-destructive 5-LOX enzymes2
- Curcumin - Turmeric root antioxidant (and anti inflammatory) soothes and protects joints from COX-2 enzymes and free radicals3
- Glucosamine - Foundational building block for cartilage cells, connective tissues and joint-lubricating synovial fluid4
- Chondroitin - Connective tissue building block attracts water like a magnet; chondroitin helps keep cartilage hydrated and cushy5
- MSM - Organic sulfur molecule that is used in the formation of all connective tissues6
- Strontium - Essential mineral for bone health; helps strengthen subchondral bone under joint cartilage7
- Multivitamin - Vitamins and minerals support joint-building collagen, bone health and overall skeletal strength8
Let's take a closer look at each of these individual joint supplements and the new forms that make them more effective for your health than ever.
Boswellia Serrata
Also known as frankincense, this traditional Ayurvedic herb produces a resin that contains a powerful active ingredient called AKBA (3-O-acetyl-11 keto-ß-boswellic acid).9
AKBA is noted for fighting 5-LOX and MMP: Joint-damaging enzymes associated with degeneration and discomfort.10
Boswellia serrata is a research-backed botanical joint supplement, shown in human clinical trials to:11
Best Boswellia for Joints: AprèsFlex®
AprèsFlex® is a unique Boswellia serrata extract bioengineered to achieve 52% greater absorption than plain frankincense resin.
AprèsFlex® is also standardized to 20% AKBA: A precise amount of active ingredient for reliable and consistent joint support in every serving.
Curcumin (from Turmeric)
Curcumin is a complex of antioxidants found in turmeric: The bright yellow root spice and anti inflammatory used in Indian cuisine and Ayurvedic herbal health traditions for centuries.
Modern research has shown that curcuminoids derived from turmeric (which include curcumin) hold great potential for helping with flexibility, joint pain (e.g. knee pain) and joint health. It's used in supplements for any type of arthritis foundation and base as a result.
Like Boswellia, curcumin helps modulate joint inflammation while fighting joint-destructive free radicals and cartilage-eating enzymes.
But where Boswellia targets 5-LOX enzyme, Curcumin fights two separate, but equally joint-destructive, enzyme classes:12
- COX-2 enzymes
- Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) enzymes
Curcumin joint protection appears to help with comfortable flexibility and relieve pain: Studies have found researchers to suggest curcumin from turmeric root may have similar joint relief effects as analgesics.13
In addition, large reviews of clinical research studies suggest that curcumin and its anti inflammatory benefits help with many aspects of long-range joint health, including in people with degenerative joint concerns such as joint pain and inflammation, arthritis and osteoarthritis.14
Best curcumin for joint health: CurcuWIN®
Curcumin's potency has always been somewhat limited because it is notoriously hard for the body to absorb.
CurcuWIN® is a branded supplement form of curcumin that offers a significant upgrade over plain turmeric powder:
- CurcuWIN® is produced with nutrition technology that improves curcumin absorption by 42%
CurcuWIN® is also a precise extract, delivering 20% total curcuminoids in ratios that match what is found in nature.
AprèsFlex® Boswellia Serrata + CurcuWIN® Curcumin: A Joint Comfort Innovation
Modern over-the-counter synthetic remedies for joint aches and pain are increasingly shown to be risky for your stomach lining.15
AprèsFlex® Boswellia Serrata + CurcuWIN® Curcumin present an herbal supplement alternative for joint pain relief.
AprèsFlex® and CurcuWIN® soothe away joint pain aches and stiffness. But unlike some stomach-irritating synthetic joint remedies, AprèsFlex® and CurcuWIN® are safe, natural and organic: Easy to absorb, Easy on the stomach and healthier for long-range use.
Glucosamine Sulfate
Glucosamine Sulfate is a prized joint health ingredient for supporting joint structure, optimizing joint comfort, and nourishing joint cartilage.
It works by stimulating cartilage cells to produce protein building blocks that are used to form fresh cartilage and connective tissues in the body.
Ultimately, glucosamine may help to reinforce the very structure of joints to help support them and them work better.
Researchers have suggested glucosamine may help with flexibility in several different ways, including:16
- Optimizing chondrocyte cells that produce cartilage
- Serving as a building block for connective tissues
- Optimizing repair, regeneration and lubrication of cartilage
- Blocking some cartilage-destroying enzymes
- Supplying some joint-protective antioxidant activity
Best Glucosamine for Joint Supplements: Anything Vegan-Friendly
Most glucosamine supplements are sourced from shellfish. But not everybody is comfortable taking health supplements sourced from bottom-feeding crustaceans.
You'll find that there are several vegan-friendly glucosamine alternatives available in supplements. Look for any form labeled as vegan-friendly for the cleanest possible glucosamine experience.
Chondroitin
Another important connective tissue building block, chondroitin supplements help to build proteoglycans: Protein molecules that make cartilage plump, cushiony and comfortable.
Like glucosamine, researchers found that chondroitin blocks cartilage-destroying enzymes. Chondroitin appears to have inflammation-modulating activity that may further help to soothe away joint aches (eg. knee osteoarthritis) and pain in the body.17
Some people ask which is better between glucosamine or chondroitin. The good news is, since both are included in Performance Lab Flex, you can enjoy both.
Best chondroitin in joint supplements: Mythocondro®
Mythocondro® boosts chondroitin bioavailability by 43%, enabling superior joint support at a lower dosage.
Mythocondro® is also the only vegetarian chondroitin.
Other chondroitin forms have animal origins including pork byproducts, shark cartilage and bovine connective tissue.
Joint Support Stack Synergy: Glucosamine + Chondroitin work better together.
The 2006 GAIT study conducted by the US National Institutes of Health found that glucosamine and chondroitin are more effective for joint comfort when taken together.MSM
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is an organic compound, comprised of about 34% bioavailable organic sulfur.
Organic sulfur is essential to all living things on Earth - including us humans. MSM is the third most abundant mineral in our bodies.
Supplementing with MSM helps to restore organic sulfur to optimal levels in joints and connective tissues in the body. Research suggests MSM supplements may:19
- Support healthy joints and range of motion
- Counter the effects of cartilage breakdown
- Counter effects of destructive free radicals with some joint-protective antioxidant activity
MSM is also included in the best joint supplements to help maintain the healthy resilience of all other connective tissues in the body, including skin, cartilage, ligaments and tendons.
Best MSM for Joint Supplements: OptiMSM®
Premium-quality OptiMSM® is the purest (99.7% pure) and only GRAS-designated MSM supplement, made in the USA with a proprietary multi-stage distillation process that yields superior purity, quality and consistency.
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial on MSM effectiveness for joint comfort, 50 subjects took OptiMSM® for 12 weeks, increasing dosage to a peak of 6 g daily. Subjects taking OptiMSM® reported improved joint comfort versus placebo. Researchers concluded MSM may warrant further study as a joint enhancer.20
Strontium
Strontium is a bone health mineral. It helps with the skeletal aspects of joint health and performance - and people with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Strontium is suggested to work by helping both the osteoblast cells that build bone and the osteoclast cells that break down cells in the body.21
Animal studies have suggested that strontium may help to both preserve cartilage tissues and support the subchondral bone (bone underneath cartilage) that contributes to its healthy function.22
Multivitamin Nutrients
In addition to strontium, several other essential vitamins and minerals can help to support joint health, skeletal strength and overall comfortable flexibility. They are:- Calcium - Crucial essential mineral for bones, which help comprise strong joints
- Vitamin D 3 - (fat soluble vitamins) Assists with absorption of calcium, crucial for bone support
- Magnesium - Crucial skeletal mineral functions as a bone builder and strengthener
- Vitamin K - Helps keep calcium in bones and out of bloodstream
- Vitamin C - Supports collagen production, in turn optimizes joint structure and shock-absorbing capability
Best Strontium and Multivitamin Nutrients for Joint Health: NutriGenesis®
NutriGenesis® is ultramodern nutrition technology unique to Performance Lab®. NutriGenesis® vitamins and minerals are fermented on cultures in a clean lab setting, and bioengineered with cofactors that boost absorption and maximize benefits.
Are Supplements for Joint Pain Safe?
Are joint pain supplements safe to use? Will they cause side effects? What about long-term health risks?
These are good questions. After all, if a supplement claims to be capable of eliminating severe joint pain, such as knee pain arising from osteoarthritis, then it must be pretty strong, right?
Not necessarily.
Natural joint supplements do not work like pain killers.
Instead of simply masking join pain in a way that makes you feel sleepy, disorientated and sedated, high quality joint pain supplements work by addressing the underlying causes of joint pain: inflammation, cartilage erosion, ligament damage, etc.
The best supplements for joint pain will also support long-term joint health without causing any side effects whatsoever. They will exclusively use 100% natural ingredients which have been thoroughly tested in clinical trials.
To avoid the risk of side effects, avoid using joint supplements which contain synthetic ingredients, powerful analgesics (even natural ones), and unproven ingredients.
Benefits of Joint Health Supplements: Do they really work for Arthritis Symptoms?
The benefits of high quality joint supplements can be tremendous and wide-ranging in scope.
While not all joint supplements can claim to be effective, the best joint health supplements are extremely effective when used correctly.
The best joint supplements can, for example, significantly reduce joint pain. For those of you living with chronic knee pain or shoulder pain, high-spec joint supplements can not only ease joint pain but also promote the long-term knee health, shoulder health, and hip health.
The best "vitamins for joints" supplement will also usually help promote flexibility and mobility over the long-term. They will usually do this by supporting the maintenance and growth of cartilage and ligaments; the tissues which really need to be gradually stressed in order to become more flexible.
In short, top joint supplements can:
- Reduce joint pain
- Increase flexibility and mobility
- Protect joint tissues from damage
- Accelerate cartilage and tendon repair
- Increase bone strength
How joint supplements work depends on the stack in question. Some joint support supplements focus solely on reducing inflammation. Others actively promote the regrowth and repair of synovial fluid, cartilage, and ligaments.
Of course, not all joint supplements are effective. Especially when on blood thinners or other various prescriptions prescribed by your personal care provider.
You will see lots of products on the market today advertised as highly specialized supplements: joint repair supplements, joint relief supplements, joint recovery supplements, and even supplements to relieve arthritis pain.
Some supplements for arthritis even go as far as to claim to be designed specifically for knee pain!
Sadly, most of the joint supplements on sale today are totally useless when it comes to actually relieving joint pain and supporting recovery from injury.
To avoid buying low quality joint supplements that don't actually work, be sure to do your research carefully.
Only use a stack which combines effective, potent ingredients proven to work in independent clinical trials.
The best joint supplement for you will cover all possible bases; reduce pain, lower inflammation, promote cartilage repair, support ligament and bone health, and increase synovial fluid density.
Best Overall Joint Support Supplement: Performance Lab® Flex
Performance Lab® Flex is a long term flexibility formula that combines all of the best individual joint health supplements into one powerful stack:
- ApresFlex® Boswellia Serrata, 100 mg
- CurcuWIN® Curcumin, 250 mg
- Mythocondro® Chondroitin Sulfate, 100 mg
- OptiMSM® Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), 100 mg
- NutriGenesis® Strontium, 300 mcg
Get the Best Performance Lab Flex Deal Now
Flex soothes joints to reduce joint pain and stiffness and protects achy joints with easy-on-the-stomach botanicals, and lubricates and nourishes joints with the most important joint building blocks.
All for optimal joint function.Performance Lab® Flex ultramodern joint nutrients are curated and combined for active joint demands, helping to:
- Promote faster-acting, longer-lasting joint and pain relief with powerful botanical extracts*
- Fight 3X joint-destructive enzyme classes: 5-LOX, COX-2, MMP
- Support flexible and resilient ligaments, tendons and connective tissues*
- Optimize joint-lubricating synovial fluid for smooth, comfortable motion*
- Maintain cushy, hydrated cartilage to help with joint shock absorption*
Flex is also the cleanest joint supplement in the universe.
You can take this supplement every day (2 capsules per day) in good health, and reap the greater flexibility benefits that build with continued use over time:
- Nourishes cartilage, connectives tissues and bone to help maintain overall joint health*
- Natural joint relief that is easy on the stomach, unlike some harsh synthetics*
- Clean vegan-friendly formula. Some other joint supplements have dubious animal origins
- 100% natural prebiotic-infused NutriCaps® made from pullulan (fermented tapioca)
Get the Best Performance Lab Flex Deal Now
Best Multivitamin for Joints: NutriGenesis® Multi
NutriGenesis® Multi augments Flex with 17+ essentials, including the most important vitamins and minerals for:
- Bone strength
- Collagen production
- Connective tissue resilience
- Overall joint health
Taking a clean, highly absorbable multivitamin like NutriGenesis® Multi per day forms a strong nutritional support foundation for continued, long-range joint health and flexibility.
Get the Best Performance Lab Multi Deal Now
Best Omega 3 for Joints: Performance Lab® Omega 3
Performance Lab® Omega 3 supplies safe, clean and sustainable Omega 3 fatty acids directly from algae (the original source).
Much better than going through fish oil supplements, which can have bad aftertaste, heavy metals and other contaminents.
This also provides omega 3 fatty acids through the world's first vegan carrageenan softgels. Making it easy to help reduce pain and relieve joint pain.
Get the Best Performance Lab Omega 3 Deal Now
Conclusion: What is the top joint supplement on the market today?
The best joint supplements for your complementary and integrative health this year can help you with both short and long-term flexibility, comfort the right dose of movement forward to keep you on track for all your goals.
Take Flex + NutriGenesis® Multi for far-reaching flexibility support ranging from joint basics to the most advanced forms of today's greatest joint-soothing (and pain relieving) botanicals and joint-building raw materials. If you want to go the extra step, then take Performance Lab Omega 3® fatty acids supplement to further help provide your joint function.
Of course, if you have serious issues with your joints, seek medical advice for more health information.
