Snap, crackle, pop! This isn’t a sound you want to hear from your joints when you get out of bed in the morning or when you stand up sitting down for a period of time. These noises from your joints can indicate that something isn’t right, especially when it’s accompanied by inflammation and pain.

Vegan supplements designed to support joint health can help prevent and treat some of the common problems which cause pain by blocking inflammation, supporting collagen, and increasing lubrication.

As a person ages, joint pain becomes familiar to a lot of people. It’s the gradual wear and tear of the joints which makes them start to fail at some point.

Although it’s not inevitable: it’s possible to slow down this ‘wear and tear’ process and maintain healthy joints for longer by eating the right foods and taking supplements that support joint health.

If you’re between 20 or 30 years old, there’s a good chance that you’ve not really experienced these issues yet, but you should start to think about joint health now, so you can prevent any problems in the future.

There are many causes of joint pain: accidents, infections, and other trauma are just some of them. Generally speaking, the degenerative process that leads to arthritic joint pain can take place over decades.

As a vegan, you’re probably a bit lighter than the average person, so you will probably have less inflammation going on and you’re probably not overweight either. However, you can go a bit further and take other preventative measures by using targeted supplements that are designed for protecting and healing joints.

If you’ve noticed that your joints are hurting more since you’ve become vegan, please read my article on why joints can hurt after going on a vegan diet.

Top 3 Vegan Supplements to help improve joint health

These supplements were picked from many supplements because they contained many clinically proven ingredients that are known to help improve joint health in humans.

#1. Zipvit – Glucosamine Sulphate 2KCL 1500mg with Vitamin C 

This glucosamine supplement from Zipvit has been approved by the Vegetarian Society to be suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.

It contains two main ingredients: Glucosamine Sulphate and Vitamin C.

The tablets are fairly large, but if you’re used to taking capsules or tablets, it shouldn’t be a problem as they have a coating on the tablets to help you swallow them.

One concern might be that the tablets will degrade over time. I’m happy to say that in my experience, the tablets maintain their integrity and color until the bottle is used up.

Who should use this supplement? 

If want to help support joint health and cartilage, this is a great supplement to take long term. Glucosamine also has many other health benefits such improving skin health by promoting the synthesis of collagen. Glucosamine may also improve overall health and longevity.

Bottle contains 12 month supply at 1 tablet per day.

See more information and reviews (UK)

#2. Turmeric (Curcumin) with Ginger and Bioperine

Ginger and Turmeric have long been known to be powerful anti-inflammatory spices which can help reduce joint pain and be as effective or more effective than some medications.

There are many studies which show that both of these ingredients can help reduce pain and symptoms associated with inflammation anywhere in the body.

Who should use this supplement?

The supplement was designed to help people who are struggling with acute or chronic inflammation in the body.

Both of these ingredients have been researched extensively for their positive effect on those who suffer from many types of arthritis, especially osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

If inflammation is the main cause of your joint problems or if you have a family history of inflammatory disorders and joint problems, this supplement would be great for you.

It would also complement the previous supplement very well.

Main benefits

• Reduces inflammation and joint pain anywhere in the body.
• Helps improve digestion.
• Improves blood circulation in the body.
• Boosts memory and brain function.
• Supports the immune system.
• Possible anti-cancer benefits.

Features

The supplement contains Bioperine which is commonly used to significantly enhance the absorption of bioactive components found in turmeric.

It’s also manufactured in an FDA facility in the US, so strict quality control is in place ensuring that you get the best quality ingredients and product.

Also free from ingredients such as artificial colors and flavors, gluten, soy, and GMO ingredients. It’s completely natural and vegan.

Like the previous supplement, this one is also very highly rated and popular.

See more information and reviews.

#3. Vegan Omega 3 with Algal Oil for Joint Support and Health

If you’re a vegan and not currently taking an omega 3 supplement then you’re missing out on essential fatty acids which provide potent anti-inflammatory effects as well as other health benefits.

Getting omega 3’s from a vegan diet can be challenging, especially when it comes to DHA. Most of the time a vegan will consume ALA and this will be converted to EPA and DHA. But the conversion process isn’t perfect.

That’s where omega 3 supplements derived from algal oil come in. It provides EPA and DHA with no conversion needed.

Who should use this supplement?

It was designed for vegans who want to help keep their joints flexible and pain-free by providing two essential fats which can protect the joints against chronic inflammation associated with injury, general inflammation, and wear and tear. Omega 3 also helps restore flexibility and reduce joint stiffness.

Main benefits

• Supports joint health by reducing inflammation and reducing stiffness.
• Supports a healthy cardiovascular system.
• Improves brain function and memory.
• Improves skin and hair health.
• Supports a healthy immune system and reduces autoimmunity.

Features

Contains omega 3 from Algal oil; the only real source for DHA on a vegan diet.

Also free from artificial ingredients, flavors, and preservatives.

Important: This supplement contains carrageenan, which can worsen inflammation in people who have IBD and other diseases related to the digestive system.

See more information and reviews.

What are the main causes of joint problems?

Joint problems can be caused by many things aside from aging.

• Inflammation – Can be related to infection, trauma, autoimmunity or wear and tear.
• Arthritis – Many types of arthritis can cause joint pain and lead to degeneration of joints over time.
• Muscles – Your muscles might be weak or tight.
• Tendons and ligaments – Sometimes these can become inflamed and cause problems around joints.
• Damage – Damage to cartilage from an impact or some other cause can cause chronic pain, especially with movement.

Many of these have things in common, but the main one is inflammation.

Inflammation is something that is required in our body for repair and regeneration, but chronic inflammation is problematic and can worsen joint mobility.

A plant-based vegan diet already contains many anti-inflammatory foods, herbs, and teas to protect our joints, but sometimes it’s easier to be consistent by taking a supplement.

You will also get a larger dose of the bioactive compounds than you would from just consuming the food.

Main active ingredients included in these supplements

Ginger and turmeric – Contains compounds such as gingerols and curcuminoids which are able to suppress inflammation in the body by blocking cytokines and other inflammatory mediators, which cause excessive inflammation and destruction of tissue if left uncontrolled. Studies show that ginger and turmeric are effective for people who have arthritis and the results can be the same as taking a medication.

Omega 3 – Studies show that omega 3 is able to suppress inflammation and improve symptoms associated with arthritis. In one study, patients who took omega 3 had improvements with tender joints compared to a placebo group.

There was a 50% improvement seen in the omega 3 group (89% of patients) compared with just 50% improvement in the placebo group (13% of patients) over the course of the study.

Glucosamine – This supplement has been used by many people to help relieve their achy joints. A lot of people swear by it, but clinical studies have shown mixed results. One of the reasons for this is the preparation used in some studies.

In trials that used glucosamine sulfate, it was found to be effective at reducing joint pain and other symptoms of arthritis. While other preparations were not as effective in treating joint pain (see the study).

Conclusion

Joint pain affects millions of people and can be debilitating in some cases. Looking after our joints with good nutrition, supplementation, and proper exercise is important for keeping our joints flexible and healthy. But for many people, the damage is already done and they have to just manage the pain.

Vegan supplements for joint health that contain bioactive ingredients have been proven to effective in studies on various forms of arthritis. They are also helpful in reducing the damage from wear and tear as well as quelling inflammation.

Article reviewed and updated: August 2021.