Damage to Cells -
The Root of Pain, Inflammation and Aging

Healthy cells versus aging/diseased cells

Cellular structure essentially consists of 3 parts; the cell, the protective / communicative cell membrane and the semi-fluid area between cells (the extra cellular matrix, or ECM). With age and many diseased states, the ECM and cell membranes decrease in fluidity and stability, leading to tissue breakdown, aging and disease.

To simplify the explanation of the ECM and membranes of cells, picture the following analogy:

Imagine the egg yolk as the cell, the egg yolk sac as the cell membrane and the egg whites as the ECM. If you pour a number of eggs in a bowl, the egg yolks (cells) and egg yolk sacs (cell membranes) remain intact and independent, however, the egg whites (ECM's) all fuse together forming a continuous semi-fluid canal system between the egg yolk sacs (cell membranes).
 

Healthy fluid ECM (raw egg analogy)	Aged/Diseased ECM (poached egg)

This canal system is the substance through which most substances travel prior to being received by the semi-fluid cell membranes in order to enter a cell.

Healthy cells are analogous to raw eggs, with very fluid and dynamic structure. Aged or diseased cells begin to resemble the less fluid and less dynamic poached eggs. As the ECM and cell membranes "stiffen", hormones, nutrients and other required biochemicals have a more difficult time entering or departing the cell, therefore, cell function begins to breakdown. This breakdown results in many symptoms characteristic of aging and disease; pain, inflammation, fatigue, spasm, stiffness, difficulty controlling blood sugar, lowered metabolism, increased infection, etc.

Illustration of actual ECM and cell membranes

This is the cell communication structure

 

How Recovery®EQ prevents cell damage

As with human members of your family, the simple process of growing older can take its toll. Many of the major diseases that affect humans, such as arthritis and bursitis, can also affect your horse. To understand how aging affects your horse, think back to when he was very young. How would his body have reacted if he was struck by an object?

The chances are, only minor pain and swelling would have taken place, and your horse would have recovered quickly with minimal distress. When your horse is older, however, he could be struck with only half the force and react quite differently:

When an older horse is injured, tissue damage is more intense, pain and swelling more severe, and recovery time much longer. Scientists have attributed these differences to the decrease in cell stability and associated damage to the cell membranes that is a natural part of the aging process.

To compound the problem there are conditions that display further instability like Cushing's syndrome, diabetes, hypothyroidism and autoimmune diseases and the cells themselves produce compounds that cause damage.

Recovery®EQ reinforces the body’s protective linings and lubricating fluids by recovering ECM and cell membrane receptivity and stability experienced in your horse's youth; this results in more youthful function to inhibit conditions at the root - decreased damage and increased ability to repair.

Recovery...the freedom to move!