As if being a woman wasn’t complicated enough- we are more often affected by rheumatic diseases than men. These diseases include the likes of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. They affect your bones, muscles, joint tendons, and ligaments causing swelling, pain, stiffness, and a loss of motion (1).
Why are women more susceptible to joint problems?
First and foremost, our bone’s structure isn’t the same as our male counterparts. Factors like weight and genetics can influence the degeneration of our joints. Studies have found there may also be a correlation between the rising and falling of female hormones during your period, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause (2).
Hormones
The sex hormones estrogen, androgen, and prolactin seem to have a role in your susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. For example, women with lupus have something called calcineurin (causing inflammation) and it is induced by estrogen. Men are also at an advantage in that androgens (like testosterone) are anti-inflammatory (3).
Menopause
Some scientists are saying the longer you’ve been getting your period, the more you’ve been exposed to sex hormones that cause inflammation. That being said, it makes sense so many women going through/ post menopause have issues with joint pain or inflammation. Very irregular periods have also been linked to conditions like lupus because of the excessive hormone production. Estrogen deficiency? Not so good either. Women who go through menopause at an early age have also demonstrated a higher risk of developing rheumatic diseases (3) .
Can supplements help?
BINTO formulates supplements specifically for women all throughout their reproductive life cycle. If you’re prone to hormonal imbalance, magnesium and NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) help regulate your hormone levels and your cycle.
Our supplement specifically for menopausal and post-menopausal women contain anti inflammatory ingredients such as Bromelain and Curcumin C Complex.
Does the weather impact my joints?
Some studies have seen a correlation between barometric pressure and joint pain. A famous study out of Tufts University specifically looked at knee osteoarthritis and noticed some correlation. Severe changes in weather (cold fronts, warm fronts, etc) are accompanied with changes in barometric pressure. Just like deep sea divers who undergo compression, barometric changes can cause fluids to shift near joints, resulting in inflammation. We see this in exposure to cold weather, too, as fluids in your body thicken ever so slightly (4).
Sources:
1.https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/arthritis-and-rheumatic-diseases
2.https://www.cedars-sinai.edu/Patients/Programs-and-Services/Rheumatology/For-Patients/Women-and-Rheumatic-Diseases.aspx
3.https://arthritis-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/ar2825
4.https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343%2806%2901026-6/pdf