Joint health ingredient Aquamin Plus shows greater efficacy than glucosamine in study

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Marigot Ltd. (Cork, Ireland) developed a new joint health ingredient, Aquamin Plus, a proprietary blend containing Aquamin, a red algae ingredient harvested in the fjords of Iceland high in calcium and 73 other minerals; Aquamin Mg, a magnesium ingredient produced from Irish seawater; enzogenol, from the bark of Pinus Radiata trees; and vitamin D. Aquamin Plus is being produced and marketed by Stauber-Ingredient.

One study, published in the Complementary Therapies of Medicine¹, compared Aquamin Plus to glucosamine in a double-blind crossover study on mild-symptomatic osteoarthritis patients. A total of 358 participants were screened. Thirty participants were randomly assigned to either the glucosamine group at 2 g/d or the Aquamin Plus group at 3,056 mg/d for 12 weeks. 

Compared to glucosamine, Aquamin Plus showed superior improvements the patients’ overall quality of life and pain levels. Subjects taking Aquamin Plus also experienced improvements in physical function, determined by improved performance in timed up-and-go and six-minute walking distance. Researchers also found that the use of NSAIDs in the Aquamin Plus group was reduced by 72%, compared to patients on glucosamine. 

Reference

1. Heffernana SM, et al. “Mineral rich algae with pine bark improved pain, physical function and analgesic use in mild-knee joint osteoarthritis, compared to Glucosamine: A randomized controlled pilot trial,” Complementary Therapies of Medicine, vol. 50 (2020)