Dietary supplements for promotion of growth, repair, and maintenance of bone and joints

Abstract

The present invention provides a dietary supplement that promote the growth, repair, and maintenance of mammalian bone and joint connective tissue. In particular, the dietary supplement comprises a combination of at least one metal chelate and at least one chondroprotective agent.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dietary supplement comprising at least one chondroprotective agent and at least one metal chelate; the metal chelate comprising at least one metal ion and at least one ligand. 
     
     
         2 . The dietary supplement of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of vitamin, mineral, amino acid, antioxidant, yeast culture, anti-inflammatory agent, and essential fatty acid. 
     
     
         3 . The dietary supplement of  claim 1 , wherein the average ligand to metal ion ratio is from about 1:1 to about 3:1. 
     
     
         4 . The dietary supplement of  claim 1 , wherein the metal ion is selected from the group consisting of zinc ions, copper ions, manganese ions, magnesium ions, iron ions, chromium ions, calcium ions, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The dietary supplement of  claim 3 , wherein the metal ions are manganese ions, zinc ions, and copper ions. 
     
     
         6 . The dietary supplement of  claim 1 , wherein the chondroprotective agent is selected from the group consisting of glucosamine, chondriotin, hyaluronic acid, collagen, concentrated eggshell membrane, and green-lipped mussel. 
     
     
         7 . The dietary supplement of  claim 1 , wherein the ligand is selected from alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The dietary supplement of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one ingredient selected from fish oil, flaxseed oil, vitamin E, apple peel extract, cetyl myristoleate, bromelain, avocado seed oil, devil's claw, green tea, rosehips, and ginger. 
     
     
         9 . The dietary supplement of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of vitamin, mineral, amino acid, antioxidant, yeast culture, anti-inflammatory agent, and essential fatty acid. 
     
     
         10 . The dietary supplement of  claim 1 , wherein the dietary supplement has from about 2% to about 20% by weight metal chelate and from about 5% to about 40% by weight chondroprotective agent. 
     
     
         11 . A method for promoting at least one of pain relief, growth, repair, and/or maintenance of bone and/or joint tissue in a mammalian subject, the method comprising administering to the mammalian subject a dietary supplement comprising at least one chondroprotective agent and at least one metal chelate, the metal chelate comprising at least one metal ion and at least one ligand. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the dietary supplement further comprises at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of vitamin, mineral, amino acid, antioxidant, yeast culture, anti-inflammatory agent, and essential fatty acid. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the metal ion is selected from the group consisting of zinc ions, copper ions, manganese ions, magnesium ions, iron ions, chromium ions, calcium ions, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the metal ions are manganese ions, zinc ions, and copper ions. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the chondroprotective agent is selected from the group consisting of glucosamine, chondriotin, hyaluronic acid, collagen, concentrated eggshell membrane, and green-lipped mussel. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the ligand is selected from alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one ingredient selected from fish oil, flaxseed oil, vitamin E, apple peel extract, cetyl myristoleate, bromelain, avocado seed oil, devil's claw, green tea, rosehips, and ginger 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the mammalian subject is a human. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the mammalian subject has a joint-related indication. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the joint-related indication is selected from the group consisting of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, joint effusion, joint inflammation and/or pain, synovitis, lameness, post operative arthroscopic surgery, deterioration of proper joint function, the inhibition of metabolic activity of chondrocytes, and the inhibition of the production of hyaluronic acid.