Flavocin studies and its impact on dogs with joint problems

Known by several trade names such as oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes (OPCs), or bioflavanol, or flavan-3-ol, this active ingredient in Flavocin has been awarded United States Patent 4,963,527.

Now available in the U.S., Flavocin contains the ingredient tested and successfully used by Doctors in Europe for decades and is now available without a prescription.

In a dietary supplement market that is under constant government and media scrutiny, there are certain things that you as a smart consumer should watch out for.

For example, other ordinary joint formulas may use a less pure form of glucosamine called glucosamine sulfate. But Flavocin uses glucosamine HCl…which is 99% pure. By comparison, the glucosamine sulfate found in ordinary formulas is only 26% pure.

In fact, Flavocin Glucosamine HCl delivers 83.1% active glucosamine while the Glucosamine Sulfate supplies a meager 47.8%.

That means that in order to get the equivalent amount of glucosamine found in Flavocin… your dog would need almost twice as much glucosamine sulfate!

And recently, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons² gave the official “green light” to this arthritis ingredient found in Flavocin, saying it might actually be as beneficial as many widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of osteoarthritis.

It is also important to know... that Flavocin packs a whopping 500 mg of Glucosamine HCl in every chewable tablet! That’s critical because recent research shows that to effectively treat joint problems in dogs, your dog needs 500 mg for every 30 pounds of body weight. Most ordinary joint formulas for dogs only have 250 mg of glucosamine... or even less in their products! I don’t know about you... but I don’t want to have to give my dog six, seven or even eight pills a day. What a hassle... and it can be a lot more expensive too!

Clinical tests show that the daily consumption of the key ingredients in Flavocin not only can provide powerful relief from the symptoms of arthritis in dogs… but they also may help protect against disease and the effects of aging. And that’s what makes Flavocin so different from ordinary joint formulas, and so good for your dog.

By combining the patented OPCs in Flavocin with two already proven nutrients—
Glucosamine HCl and Chondroitin Sulfate—plus Zinc, Cysteine, Calcium, and Vitamin C into an advanced joint and antioxidant formula, relief for aging dogs could be close at hand. Here’s why.

Many scientists now believe that oxidative stress and “free-radicals” may be the root cause of more than 60 diseases including certain types of cancer, cataracts, and arthritis… as well as the aging process itself.

As your dog grows older the production of free-radical fighting enzymes decreases… creating even more oxidative stress and further damage to your dog. As this happens every part of your dog’s body gradually deteriorates.

Scientists also believe that the best way to fight these free-radicals and oxidative-stress is with something called antioxidants.

The powerful blend of micronutrients and antioxidants like those found in Flavocin can help maintain optimum health and provide nutritional support for healthy joints and connective tissue.

With a unique flavoring technology that makes the chewable tablets “taste just like a treat”… the continued use of Flavocin may help reactivate the natural healing process... keeping your dog active, healthy, and happy throughout its life.

While the many health benefits of Flavocin seem almost too good to be true… Flavocin’s micronutrients have been tested in well-controlled clinical studies.

In 1987, Dr. Shinji Uchida and his team of researchers demonstrated that the antioxidant bioflavanols found in Flavocin were up to 50 times more effective than vitamin E as a free radical scavenger.

In the "Review of the Scientific Research on Pycnogenols", June 1992 H Liers reported, “The results show that the dimeric proanthocyanidins are nearly 20 times more effective than vitamin C at trapping oxygen radicals.”

In fact, to equal the antioxidant properties found in just 3 Flavocin chewable tablets you would need to give your dog… 25 six-ounce glasses of orange juice (vitamin C) and 447 eight-ounce glasses of soy milk (vitamin E).

Research also suggests that the OPCs can increase the total antioxidant capacity and stimulate defenses in blood. But it gets even better.

It is believed that the most dangerous free-radical produced by your dog’s body as it gets older is called the hydroxyl radical. It is so damaging because it directly attacks DNA—the building block of all cells. Research demonstrates that OPCs can “search and destroy” this dangerous hydroxyl free-radical. And that’s not all.

Research also shows that the OPCs in Flavocin may be superior to other antioxidants because its protective effects are multiplied in the body, working with other antioxidants by increasing their free-radical fighting effects. This is due to its ability to “recycle” antioxidants after they have quenched or destroyed free-radicals, thereby extending the life of free-radical fighting antioxidants.

The active ingredient in Flavocin has been tested in dogs with arthritis secondary to canine hip dysplasia. The study was a double-blind, placebo controlled, 14-week clinical evaluation.

Results of this study have been presented at the 24th Annual Veterinary Orthopedic Society Conference in Montana, The European College of Veterinary Surgeons annual meeting in Versailles, France and the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association Meeting. The results have also been presented at the Voorjaarsdagen Annual International Veterinary Congress meeting in Amsterdam, Holland.

DESTROY Free-Radicals BEFORE they Destroy Your DOG

Free radicals damage your dog’s healthy cells and in turn impair the body's normal functions.

Free radicals are produced from:

How do free radicals affect your dog’s body?

Free radicals are known today to be one of the most destructive forces in the body of an aging animal. This is especially true when talking about your dog's joints and other tissues.

Free radicals cause a loss of cellular flexibility and strength, and can cause joints and cartilage to become stiff, cloud vision, cause arteries to lose their elasticity, inflammation, and gastrointestinal and liver disorders.

Research has shown that free radicals are involved in many age-related conditions such as:

Healthy versus Arthritic Joint Components

All joints are filled with a lubricant called synovial fluid. Normally, your dog’s natural antioxidant enzymes clean free radicals from the synovial fluid, keeping the joint properly lubricated for free movement. However, poor nutrition, aging and stress can contribute to the under production of the natural enzymes, resulting in free radical damage to the cells in your dog’s joints and joint problems in dogs. This cellular damage leads to friction, decreasing the health of joints and impacting their ability to function.

Supplementation with antioxidants has been shown to help reduce the effects of free radicals on the aging body. Antioxidants diminish the damage caused by free radicals to cells by neutralizing the unstable structure and converting it to a harmless compound that may be safely removed from the body.

Antioxidants are likely to be most beneficial for older animals, animals that are very active or undergoing strenuous training, and animals under stress.

Antioxidants will help maintain optimum health in your dog’s gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems, liver, kidneys, eyes and immune systems. They help protect cartilage and collagen in the joints from free radical damage, and allow nutrients to be effectively used for new cell growth and cell repair. As pets become older, antioxidants become even more important in the fight against free radicals and their associated damage to cells in joints and other tissues.

All animals are at risk for joint disease. Most animals have sustained damage to cartilage in joints by middle age… and for most dogs that’s about 5 years of age!

Many factors can affect joint health and the integrity of cartilage. Among them are diet, genetic make-up and activity levels. Each animal's genetic code, for example, can influence the thickness and durability of its cartilage and the predisposition to arthritis.

Regardless of the cause for joint problems, nutrition, especially antioxidant supplementation, is particularly important in maintaining healthy joints. And that’s where Flavocin can help.

Flavocin contains a scientific blend of four potent antioxidants: Vitamin C, Zinc, Cysteine and Bioflavanol (flavan-3-ol)… the most powerful antioxidant ever discovered. In fact, studies show it to be 20 times stronger than vitamin C and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E in fighting free radicals.

REDUCING joint pain and inflammation for Dogs with Arthritis

If your dog is suffering from dog joint problems… one of the most common symptoms is pain and inflammation.

Research shows that OPCs like those found in Flavocin can selectively bind to connective tissue of joints, preventing inflammation and lessening of pain. It does this by preventing the release of histamine—a key factor in swelling and inflammation. In fact, studies dating back to as early as 1947 showed this to be one of the very first benefits of the OPCs.

Because it has the ability to strengthen vascular walls, Flavocin’s active ingredient may help your dog to repair injuries faster. An Australian study showed that participants who took the active compound for 10 days after their injuries had less swelling than those that didn’t take it.

Scientists from the University of Florence in Italy studied the effects of the Flavocin active compound on patients with swelling in the legs. After 60 days, the pain was totally reduced in 67% of those participating and swelling disappeared in a whopping 63%. Plus, double-blind studies from France showed the OPCs can reduce inflammation after surgery.

Other studies indicate that OPCs may be an effective alternative to aspirin. These OPCs have shown a better risk-ratio compared to aspirin, meaning it has many of the same benefits of aspirin—with a lot less side effects.

Certain types of arthritis in dogs can be traced to metabolic changes taking place in cartilage. Dogs with arthritis have cells in the cartilage that go crazy and start producing a destructive enzyme that wipes out cartilage faster than it can be produced. The active ingredient in Flavocin has been shown to stop further damage to cartilage by blocking the enzyme that destroys cartilage… helping to improve flexibility and mobility as your pet ages.

If you really want to know the science behind it… Gosh and Smith*, two leading researchers coined the term “chondroprotective” to illustrate this type of protection found in Flavocin. They define chondroprotective agents as those substances with the ability to:

REPAIRING and RESTORING damaged cartilage and joint tissue in Dogs with Arthritis

Cartilage is a body tissue that lacks its own blood supply. Because of that, dogs rely on fluids to penetrate and feed their joints with nutrients. The problem is… dogs with joint problems often have an inadequate supply of nutrients “feeding” their joint tissue. This limited supply actually creates more damage and what’s worse is… it reduces your dog’s ability to heal itself and generate new tissue. The good news is… Flavocin supplies the raw materials that have been shown to help repair and restore damaged joints. In fact there are five decades of medical research from around the world supporting the key ingredients in Flavocin.

By giving your dog Flavocin daily, you can increase the flow of nourishment, by providing nutritional support important for healthy joints. Plus, because these key ingredients have shown the ability to re-infuse joints with greater levels of nutrient-rich water this also “plumps-up” the spongy cartilage providing more shock absorbing comfort. And that’s important because water is the main ingredient in healthy cartilage—in fact, as much as 65 to 80 percent of cartilage is water.

STIMULATING the growth of NEW cartilage in Dogs with Arthritis

Healthy cartilage is made up of four parts:

Chondrocytes are cells in joints that are responsible for stimulating the growth of new cartilage. Your dog’s body has a natural healing process that uses these chondrocytes to remove unhealthy and damaged cartilage and replace it with newer healthier cartilage. It is a wonderful process… as long as it’s working properly.

The problem is… dogs with joint problems can’t stimulate enough new cartilage to keep up with the cartilage that’s being destroyed. The reason? They lack the proper nutritional building blocks required to stimulate enough new growth. Flavocin provides the key micronutrients shown to stimulate the production of chondrocytes according to published research.

This in turn produces more collagen (collagen gives cartilage its elasticy and shock absorbing qualities) and proteoglycans (proteoglycans attract water and keep the cartilage sponge-like and lubricated for maximum shock-absorption). This results in a much healthier environment for the creation of new cartilage.

1,2 Statements herein are based on published public information and do not apply affiliation, sponsorship or endorsement of Flavocin by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons or Johns Hopkins University or any of its doctors or employees.