The mineral complex - marketed as FruiteX-B and manufactured under US patent #5,962,049 - contains boron, calcium and fructose, and was found to improve scores of joint health and pain by 24% and 25%, respectively, when used in combination with glucosamine and chondroitin, according to findings published in the Journal of Aging Research and Clinical Practice.
The study was performed by scientists from FutureCeuticals Inc., the University of California at Irvine, and NutraClinical Inc, and FutureCeuticals funded the study.
Hartley Pond, the company’s Vice President of Sales, welcomed the findings, saying: “This study shows that in the context of the widely used combination of glucosamine and chondroitin, FruiteX-B continues to provide the significant benefits for joint health documented in previous research on this remarkable mineral complex.
“The results in the FruiteX-B, glucosamine, and chondroitin group align with previous studies published earlier this year and in 2012. In all instances, FruiteX-B delivered significant, fast-acting improvement that people feel.”
Study details
The scientists recruited 90 generally healthy people and randomly divided them into three groups: The first group received placebo, the second and third groups received 750 mg per day of glucosamine and 200 mg per day of chondroitin sulfate with or without 110 mg per day of calcium fructoborate.
Subjective testing measures included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the McGill pain questionnaire.
After 14 days of intervention, results showed that the combination of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and calcium fructoborate results in statistically significant reductions in both WOMAC and McGill scores, but no statistically significant effects were seen in the placebo or glucosamine + chondroitin alone groups.
“Data from our study clearly indicate that short-term use of calcium fructoborate in combination with chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine was effective in reducing knee discomfort and improving the physical mobility of the joints,” wrote the researchers. “Future investigations conducted with a larger cohort of subjects and for a longer duration; may provide better understanding of the short and long term effects of supplementation.”
Source: Journal of Aging Research and Clinical Practice
Published online ahead of print, doi:
“Short-term efficacy of a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate compared to a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and calcium fructoborate (CFB) on improvement of knee discomfort conditions in healthy subjects. A comparative, double-blind, placebo controlled acute clinical study”
Authors: Z. Pietrzkowski, M.J. Phelan, R. Keller, C. Shu, R. Argumedo, T. Reyes-Izquierdo