Study Suggests Natural Eggshell Membrane Clinically Effective in Aiding Joint Health

Conducted in the United States, the double-blind, placebo-controlled Osteoarthritis Pain Treatment IncorpOrating NEM (OPTION) Study, tested the effects of a 500 mg daily dose of NEM on pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis of the knee.

15/05/09 ESM Technologies, the leading supplier of innovative, commercialized eggshell and eggshell membrane wellness ingredients, announced a study evaluating its proprietary NEM (Natural Eggshell Membrane) material in patients with joint pain and stiffness has been published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Clinical Rheumatology (DOI: 10.1007/s10067-009-1173-4).

Conducted in the United States, the double-blind, placebo-controlled Osteoarthritis Pain Treatment IncorpOrating NEM (OPTION) Study, tested the effects of a 500 mg daily dose of NEM on pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis of the knee. Sixty seven subjects were enrolled in the study and were randomized to either the NEM treatment group or to a placebo. Subjects were evaluated at 10, 30 and 60 days for joint pain, stiffness and function using the Western Ontario and McMasters Universities (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index.

Compared to placebo, NEM produced an average 15% reduction in pain and an average 13% reduction in stiffness in just 10 days. Perhaps most impressive, thirty three percent of the subjects receiving NEM experienced greater than a 30% reduction in pain in just 10 days and 25% of subjects experienced greater than a 50% improvement in stiffness over the same period. After 60 days,  32% of the NEM group experienced more than a 50% reduction in pain while stiffness continued to improve, registering an average 27% reduction compared to placebo. In fact, by the end of the trial, NEM had cut stiffness in half in a majority of the patients.

“What I found most remarkable about the study was the quickness in which people responded to the eggshell membrane preparation,” stated Anne Winkler, MD, Ph.D. a rheumatologist and one of the study’s authors. “Generally, we tell patients taking over-the-counter products that contain glucosamine that it may be two to three months before they notice any benefits. The fact that within a fairly short period of time they noticed a definite improvement in symptomology was impressive.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the number of Americans who suffer from joint problems is much higher than once thought. The federal agency had estimated in 1997 that 43 million U.S. adults experience pain, stiffness and swelling around the joints.  However, more recent data shows the number is more like 70 million — or an astounding one in three.(2)

In addition to the primary end points of change in WOMAC, NEM was also evaluated for safety. There were no serious adverse events reported during the trial and the treatment was reported to be well-tolerated by study subjects.

Due to the fact the participants where only required to take one 500 mg capsule of NEM per day — versus three 500-mg capsules of glucosamine per day — they were generally compliant with the treatment. “I do a fair amount of medical research, and I would say there were very little comments or concerns about the preparation that they were taking,” said Dr. Winkler. “So I think that compliance and lack of side effects was something we saw pretty consistently throughout the trial.”

When the number of pills patients are required to take is increased, absolute compliance is significantly decreased. “If you look at someone who’s on one pill a day, average compliance is about 80%,” Dr. Winkler explained. “If you have someone on two pills a day, it drops down to about 50%. If you have someone on three or more pills a day, it’s more like 20 or 25% in terms of compliance.” Therefore, the fact that NEM requires just one capsule per day to achieve clinically relevant reductions in pain and stiffness is a significant benefit.

“We’re thrilled that Clinical Rheumatology has published our study,” said Chris Haynes, National Sales Manager for ESM Technologies. “A lot of companies tout that their joint pain ingredient has been clinically tested, but has their research been accepted for publication in a highly respected journal that’s been reviewed by other medical professionals to ensure it meets current scientific standards? NEM has.”

The new study confirms previous research conducted on NEM and published in the medical journal Clinical Interventions in Aging. Two 30-day open-label human clinical trials had previously shown that NEM significantly reduced joint pain and increased range of motion in less than ten days.