As your cartilage begins to lose its “fluid-like” capabilities, the process of osteoarthritis has begun. Whether the result of aging, genetics, overuse or injury, some 40 million Americans suffer from with this debilitating disease. Whether you suffer this disease or are trying to prevent it, every step that you can take to avoid the consequences is well worth it.

Q. What exactly IS glucosamine?

A. Glucosamine, is a charged sugar molecule that is a key component of the extracellular matrix of cartilage (grout between the cartilage cells). It absorbs and releases water with each step, thereby acting as a shock absorber for the joints. With more glucosamine there, is more joint protection.

Glucosamine is a natural sugar produced by your body. It is the essential and principal ingredient that determines the quantity of proteoglycans (water-holding) molecules that are formed in the body. The greater the amount of glucosamine in the body, the greater the amount of proteoglycans. The proteoglycans are large, water-binding molecules made up of (both) proteins and sugars. It is important to understand that they are a major building block of healthy, vital cartilage. Glucosamine also stimulates the production of glycosaminoglycans (GAG's) which are important proteins found in cartilage. They serve to "bind" the water within the cartilage matrix. Glucosamine supplements are made from the shells of shellfish. (more information on glucosamine)

Q. Is Syn-flex® approved by the FDA?

A. Glucosamine products are nutritional supplements and are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Q. Will I need to take this product daily for the rest of my life to keep my hip joint in repair or will I be able to reduce the dosage or even stop taking it at some point?

A. For those with severe osteoarthritis, it is indeed advisable to maintain a daily dose of 1/4 oz. (1.5 teaspoons) per day. Those over 220 pounds or so may wish to maintain a higher dosage than this. For athletes, those using Syn-flex® as a arthritis easing measure, or those with mild arthritis, we recommend using 1/4 oz. for the first 8 weeks, and then dropping the dosage in half. Of course, if any pains return or cartilage continues to deteriorate, increase your dosage. We recommend that mostly everyone take a double dose (1/2 oz. per day) for the first 7-10 days.

Q. My friend is allergic to shellfish, but has been taking glucosamine for four years now without any problem. Can she take Syn-flex®?

A. Your friend can absolutely take Syn-flex®. As long as glucosamine hasn't been a problem in the past, Syn-flex® will be fine for her.

In fact, new research has shown that glucosamine is very unlikely to cause an allergic reaction in someone allergic to shellfish. In most cases, allergies are caused by proteins in shellfish, not chitin, a carbohydrate from which glucosamine is extracted. Furthermore, there is no crossover between the acid derived chitin from shells and the antigens that cause shellfish allergies since the acid process required to leach the chitin from the shell strips away the carbohydrate side chains that would be antigenic.

Q. I have never tried Syn-flex®. What does it taste like?

A. Syn-flex® has a tart green apple flavor. If you prefer you can mix it with your favorite drink. Some prefer to take a sip of water after. One of our customers even mixed up a wonderful concoction of Syn-flex® and Metamucil. Others mix Syn-flex® with orange juice, fruit juice, or just take it straight.

Q. Is it true that Syn-flex® will ease osteoarthritis pain in dogs, cats, and horses too?

A. Yes. Glucosamine was used to help with arthritis in horses many years before the beneficial effects for humans were known. Now with the high quality glucosamine, the liquid formula for maximum absorption, and the eleven other beneficial ingredients, your dog or cat's arthritis or hip dysplasia can be effectively eased with Syn-flex®. Full information on Syn-flex® for use in pets can be found here.

Q. Do pets Like the taste of Syn-flex®?

A. The large majority of dogs like the flavor and administration is very easy. In about 10% of cases, you may need to put the Syn-flex® on a treat, mix it in with their food, or administer orally.

Q. What's the difference between Syn-flex® and Syn-flex® for pets?

A. In fact, they are the exact same product. The only difference is the dosage amount. The reason why we have separate "products" on the order form is so we can keep track of our sales.

Q. I am an athlete. Can Syn-flex® benefit me?

A. Absolutely. Many athletes take Syn-flex® from world class triathletes to weightlifters to those who play tennis once a week. Syn-flex® not only promotes joint protection but fights cartilage deterioration as well. We highly recommend taking Syn-flex® to anyone who is active as these people are often at risk for developing osteoarthritis later in life.

Q. Who is Activex America and how did you come up with Syn-flex®?

Activex America has been in business since 1999. It was formed by J.R. Rogers. In 1993, J.R. fell off a two story building and ended up with Spinal Stenosis and Secondary Arthritis in his neck. He tried pretty much everything he could find, but little helped and what did help often had very serious side effects. A friend of his bred thoroughbred horses and was using something very close to the Syn-flex® formula to ease arthritis in his horses. J.R. tried some of the formula and within four days he noticed that his pain had been significantly reduced. Within about 15 days, his inflammation had subsided and he had much greater mobility in his neck.

J.R. decided to take the formula and make it available to everyone. In 1999 the final formula of Syn-flex® was finished, and J.R. formed Activex America to test and market Syn-flex®. After extensive successful trials and an 18 month market test in the Tampa Bay, Florida area, Syn-flex® was first made available to the public in July of 2001. Activex America has grown very quickly mainly through word of mouth about Syn-flex®, our top quality customer service, and quick delivery times.

While there are many glucosamine products on the market today, most are in pill or capsule form which is not absorbed very effectively. Using high quality pharmaceutical grade glucosamine in liquid form, the absorption is much better and users are able to experience relief from arthritis in about 2-3 weeks instead of 6-10 weeks with most glucosamine products. In addition, the 11 other beneficial ingredients help to further rehabilitate damaged cartilage, reduce inflammation and stiffness, ease pain, and increase mobility.

Q. I had knee surgery and lost half of my cartilage. How much of it can I rebuild and how?

A. Frankly it is difficult to quantify the rehabilitation of cartilage by percentages. The cartilage that has been destroyed, is essentially still there, it simply has lost its water-binding and water-holding capabilities. The ingredients in Syn-flex® stimulate the production of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, restoring the cushioning properties of the cartilage and stopping bad enzymes from continuing to chew your cartilage away.

It is safe to say that the rehabilitation would be quite dramatic, and would come close to what it was originally, however it does vary person to person and depends on the severity and progression of your arthritis.

Q. My doctor specifically recommended taking Syn-flex®. Are there many doctors who recommend Syn-flex®?

A. Almost all doctors now are recommending glucosamine, and many are indeed specifically recommending Syn-flex®. Generally they either use Syn-flex® themselves or have heard great things about Syn-flex® from their patients. You can read a number of their testimonials in our success stories.

Q. I see that Syn-flex® contains both Glucosamine Sulfate and Glucosamine HCL. Why is Glucosamine HCL added to your product?

A. The medical studies released in January of 2001 confirmed that glucosamine sulfate is clinically proven to assist those who suffer from arthritis. However, that is only part of the picture. Another medical study conducted several years ago compared two ingredients. That study found the HCL form of glucosamine created even more cartilage components and may have a higher bio-availability. We have combined both ingredients to ensure you benefit from both. In fact, Syn-flex® offers of 1250mg of glucosamine per daily 1/4oz. dose. (More about the ingredients)

Q. I have purchased Syn-flex®. What do you recommend for dosage?

A. We have set up a page to explain this. You may read this here.

Q. I know a lot of people who use it and they all swear by it. What makes Syn-flex® so effective?

A. Certainly the ingredients themselves play a major role here. As well, it should be clear that a liquid formula is going to provide the greatest possible absorption into your system. More information on how Syn-flex® works can be found in "How Syn-flex Works."

Q. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. Can Syn-flex® help me?

Syn-flex® has indeed been helpful in easing a number of users with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

While glucosamine has shown to be more effective in easing osteoarthritis than rheumatoid arthritis, Syn-flex® has been shown to be beneficial. The high quality glucosamine is able to rehabilitate any damaged cartilage, protect against deterioration of cartilage, and was designed for joint and cartilage protection and growth. The natural anti-inflammatories (yucca, omega 3 and 6, bromelain, and boswellin) are also able to reduce inflammation and pain.

Q. What if there is NO cartilage left in a joint.... what can Syn-flex® do....??

A. When there is no cartilage left, Syn-flex® will regenerate as much cartilage as is possible. However, when a bone on bone situation has occurred it is very challenging.

Syn-flex will be your best shot at saving any cartilage that may be remaining and easing your pain. Additionally, if your cartilage in one joint has disappeared, you should be taking liquid glucosamine to help protect that this does not spread further to other joints throughout your body.

If you are currently on NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors, I would suggest not taking these as you are putting yourself at risk for many severe side effects. Furthermore, there is recent research suggesting taking these will actually hasten the deterioration of your cartilage.

Q. I have noticed that pills and capsules usually contain both glucosamine and chondroitin. Does Syn-flex® have chondroitin in it?

A. Yes. The shark cartilage is comprised of approximately 20% chondroitin sulfate.

Q. Why do you use Shark Cartilage to derive the Chondroitin Sulfate in Syn-flex®?

A. The two most common compounds that are used for Chondroitin are Bovine (Cow) Trachea and Shark Cartilage. We chose to use shark cartilage over Bovine due to the risk of BSE (Mad Cow Disease).

Q. I know that most joint products contain glucosamine. What are some of these other ingredients all about?

A. All of the ingredients contained in Syn-flex® are there because they assist in building healthy joints. Without going into a lot of detail about them, boswellin, yucca, and omega 3 & 6 fatty acids each contribute to joint health and fight inflammation. Manganese and ascorbic acid are added to aid your body's ability to produce and absorb glucosamine. (More about the ingredients)

Q. Are there any special instructions other than what is on the label? Also, why are there slight changes in the color of the product?

A. You should not refrigerate Syn-flex®. It has a shelf life of two years so you can certainly store it at a room temperature for that long. A slight change in color happens sometimes. It is simply something that happens naturally as a result of exposure to light.

"Still have questions, visit Activex America, Inc.".