Unbreakable is your 9-in-1 Joint Support Solution

Joint health and joint support supplements aren’t the sexiest topic to discuss, nor are they the most popular products. But, you can be damn sure that when you’re dealing with achy joints, you’ll do anything for relief.

Apollon Nutrition Unbreakable offers a convenient, targeted, and multi-faceted approach to support joint health and offer relief from the annoyances of joint discomfort.

Here’s what makes Unbreakable stand apart from every other joint product on the market.

What’s in Unbreakable?

Bromelain

Bromelain is an enzyme naturally occurring in pineapple that helps to digest protein. But that’s not why it’s in Unbreakable. As it turns out, this mighty enzyme may offer beneficial effects due to its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.[1]

In fact, bromelain was first reported to be of value as an analgesic/anti-inflammatory agent for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritic patients in 1964![2] Bromelain’s anti-inflammatory activities occur as a result of reducing prostaglandin E2 (PGE-2) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) synthesis.[3]

VitaCherry.[3]

VitaCherry is a natural extract derived from the Montmorency cherry (Prunus cerasus) rich in numerous bioactives and polyphenols, including cyanidin 3-glucosylrutinoside, that have been found to significantly inhibit inflammation and NF-κB activation.[4]

Regarding joint support, daily supplementation with tart cherry extract for 12 weeks reduced inflammation and improved osteoarthritis symptoms in women aged 40-70 years.[5]

Additional research demonstrates that cherry juice concentrate may help athletes recover faster by reducing muscle damage and inflammation.[6] As you’re well aware, the faster you recover, the more frequently you can train/compete, and thus get better results!

Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice related to ginger that’s widely used in both culinary and therapeutic applications. The primary bioactive compounds in turmeric are curcuminoids which have been shown in research to possess rather impressive anti-inflammatory activities. Considerable amounts of research have been devoted to investigating curcumin’s wide array of benefits, particularly as it relates to joint health. Numerous studies and meta-analyses concluded that curcumin supplementation may help to significantly decrease pain in osteoarthritis.[7,8,9,10,11,12]

Turmeric’s potent bioactives are known to modify NF-κB signaling, proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin production and phospholipase A2, COX-2, and 5-LOX activities.

Beyond joint support, tumeric and its components have also been offer beneficial effects on type 2 diabetes, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, dyslipidemia and cognitive function.

ParActin

Andrographis paniculata, commonly known as the “King of Bitters”, is an herbaceous plant found throughout Southern Asia.

For centuries, it has been used as an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agent as well as a liver support ingredient.[13]

Andrographis is rife with bioactive components, including andrographolide, which has been shown to interfere with NFkB. This helps to suppress the expression of several proinflammatory genes, including COX-2, IL-6, IL-1ß.[14]

Human studies indicate that ParActin supplementation may help to reduce pain, stiffness, and fatigue while improving function.[14,15]

JointIQ

JointIQ is a novel extract of astragalus from NuLiv Science -- developers of the well-known absorption enhancer and gut health supplement, AstraGin.

Preclinical studies suggest that JointIQ may help to maintain healthy cartilage indicated by lowering IL-1β in cartilage cells. It also helps to inhibit production and activity of MMP, while supporting Collagen II expression. MMP (matrix metalloproteinases) are a class of enzymes involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix molecules.[16]

Additional research into JointIQ indicates it may help to increase glucosamine uptake and hyaluronic acid content in human chondrocytes (cartilage cells).[17]

ApresFlex

Boswellia serrata is native to India and has been used for centuries in traditional medicine for inflammation as well as a number of other conditions. The phytochemicals responsible for boswellia’s soothing qualities are a family of boswellic acids, including 3-O-Acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA).

AKBA has been shown to have a powerful inhibitory effect on 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) -- an enzyme that plays a significant role in pain and inflammation.[18]

As a result of inhibiting 5-LOX, boswellia may help reduce pain, inflammation, and swelling, allowing for smoother joint action and improved quality of life.

Unbreakable contains the research-supported dose of 100 mg of ApresFlex -- a premium-grade boswellia serrata extract containing 20% AKBA from PLT Health Solutions.

Clinical studies using ApresFlex have shown a 20% reduction in pain scores after just 5 days of use![19]

UC-II Collagen

UC-II contains a patented form of undenatured type II collagen derived from chicken sternum.

Studies demonstrate that undenatured type II collagen supplementation improves symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis as well as osteoarthritis.[20,21]

Other research finds that supplementing with UC-II collagen may improve knee extension as well as potentially increase the period of pain free strenuous exertion. It may even help to alleviate joint pain that periodically occurs from demanding physical activity.[22]

At a dose of 40mg/day, UC-II collagen helped to reduce visual analog scores of pain by 40% after 90 days as compared to 15.4% in those receiving glucosamine + chondroitin.[23]

Perhaps most surprisingly, research from 2016 found that 40mg of UC-II supplementation (the same dose included in Unbreakable) improved knee joint symptoms in knee osteoarthritis subjects compared to placebo as well as glucosamine + chondroitin.[24]

Make Your Joint Unbreakable!

Joint health is paramount to maintaining an active, vibrant, and fulfilling life. Add a serving of Apollon Nutrition Unbreakable to your daily supplement stack to nourish, fortify, and support these vital structures so that you can seize each day and rise above the competition!

References

1. Maurer HR. Bromelain: biochemistry, pharmacology and medical use. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2001;58:1234–1245.
2. Cohen A, Goldman J. Bromelain therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. Penn Med J. 1964;67:27–30.
3. Bhui K., Prasad S., George J., Shukla Y. Bromelain inhibits COX-2 expression by blocking the activation of MAPK regulated NF-kappa B against skin tumor-initiation triggering mitochondrial death pathway. Cancer Lett. 2009;282:167–176. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2009.03.003.
4. Schlesinger N, Lipsky PE, Jablonski K, Jarjour W, Brunetti L, Young NA. Components of tart cherry juice inhibit NFκB activation and inflammation in acute gout. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2022 Jul;40(7):1293-1298. doi: 10.55563/clinexprheumatol/xnb7hp. Epub 2021 Jul 24. PMID: 34369352.
5. Schumacher HR, Pullman-Mooar S, Gupta SR, Dinnella JE, Kim R, McHugh MP. Randomized double-blind crossover study of the efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. 2013 Aug 1;21(8):1035-41.
6. evers K, Dalton R, Galvan E, O'Connor A, Goodenough C, Simbo S, Mertens-Talcott SU, Rasmussen C, Greenwood M, Riechman S, Crouse S. Effects of powdered Montmorency tart cherry supplementation on acute endurance exercise performance in aerobically trained individuals. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2016 Dec;13(1):22
7. Calderón-Pérez L, Llauradó E, Companys J, et al. Acute Effects of Turmeric Extracts on Knee Joint Pain: A Pilot, Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Food. 2021;24(4):436-440. doi:10.1089/jmf.2020.0074
8. Henrotin Y, Malaise M, Wittoek R, de Vlam K, Brasseur JP, Luyten FP, Jiangang Q, Van den Berghe M, Uhoda R, Bentin J, De Vroey T, Erpicum L, Donneau AF, Dierckxsens Y. Bio-optimized Curcuma longa extract is efficient on knee osteoarthritis pain: a double-blind multicenter randomized placebo controlled three-arm study. Arthritis Res Ther. 2019 Jul 27;21(1):179. doi: 10.1186/s13075-019-1960-5. PMID: 31351488; PMCID: PMC6661105.
9. Daily JW, Yang M, Park S. Efficacy of Turmeric Extracts and Curcumin for Alleviating the Symptoms of Joint Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. J Med Food. 2016;19(8):717-729. doi:10.1089/jmf.2016.3705
10. Zeng L, Yu G, Hao W, Yang K, Chen H. The efficacy and safety of Curcuma longa extract and curcumin supplements on osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biosci Rep. 2021 Jun 25;41(6):BSR20210817. doi: 10.1042/BSR20210817. PMID: 34017975; PMCID: PMC8202067.
11. Zeng L, Yang T, Yang K, Yu G, Li J, Xiang W, Chen H. Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin and Curcuma longa Extract in the Treatment of Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trial. Front Immunol. 2022 Jul 22;13:891822. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.891822. PMID: 35935936; PMCID: PMC9353077.
12. Kou H, Huang L, Jin M, He Q, Zhang R, Ma J. Effect of curcumin on rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Immunol. 2023 May 31;14:1121655. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1121655. PMID: 37325651; PMCID: PMC10264675.
13. Chua, L. S. (2014). Review on Liver Inflammation and Antiinflammatory Activity ofAndrographis paniculata for Hepatoprotection. Phytotherapy Research, 28(11), 1589–1598. doi:10.1002/ptr.5193
14. Hancke, J. L., Srivastav, S., Cáceres, D. D., & Burgos, R. A. (2019). A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study to assess the efficacy of Andrographis paniculata standardized extract (ParActin®) on pain reduction in subjects with knee osteoarthritis. Phytotherapy Research. doi:10.1002/ptr.6339
15. Burgos, R.A., Hancke, J.L., Bertoglio, J.C. et al. Efficacy of an Andrographis paniculata composition for the relief of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms: a prospective randomized placebo-controlled trial. Clin Rheumatol 28, 931–946 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1180-5
16. Rose BJ, Kooyman DL. A Tale of Two Joints: The Role of Matrix Metalloproteases in Cartilage Biology. Dis Markers. 2016;2016:4895050. doi: 10.1155/2016/4895050. Epub 2016 Jul 13. PMID: 27478294; PMCID: PMC4961809.
17. https://discover.nulivscience.com/hubfs/Digital%20Resource%20Center%20-%20Nuliv%20Nexus/Research/JointIQ%20Overview%20e041223.pdf
18. Sailer ER, Subramanian LR, Rall B, et al. Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA): structure requirements or binding and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitory activity. Br J Pharmacol. 1996;117:615–618. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1996.tb15235.x.
19. https://www.plthealth.com/product-catalog/apresflex
20. Barnett ML, Kremer JM, St Clair EW, Clegg DO, Furst D, Weisman M, Fletcher MJ, Chasan-Taber S, Finger E, Morales A, Le CH, Trentham DE. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with oral type II collagen. Results of a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Arthritis Rheum. 1998;41(2):290–7.
21. Barnett ML, Combitchi D, Trentham DE. A pilot trial of oral type II collagen in the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1996;39(4):623–8. Trentham DE. Evidence that type II collagen feeding can induce a durable therapeutic response in some patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1996;778:306–14.
22. Lugo JP, Saiyed ZM, Lau FC, et al. Undenatured type II collagen (UC-II®) for joint support: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013;10(1):48. Published 2013 Oct 24. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-48
23. Crowley DC, Lau FC, Sharma P, et al. Safety and efficacy of undenatured type II collagen in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a clinical trial. Int J Med Sci. 2009;6(6):312-321. Published 2009 Oct 9. doi:10.7150/ijms.6.312
24. Lugo JP, Saiyed ZM, Lane NE. Efficacy and tolerability of an undenatured type II collagen supplement in modulating knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Nutr J. 2016 Jan 29;15:14. doi: 10.1186/s12937-016-0130-8. PMID: 26822714; PMCID: PMC4731911.