Doctor's Best Boswellia with UC-II

Type II collagen (chicken cartilage)· evidence: Limited

Type II collagen is the main collagen in cartilage, and supplements usually take it from chicken breastbone (sternum) cartilage. It comes in two quite different kinds. Undenatured type II collagen (such as UC-II) is used in tiny doses of about 40 mg a day and is thought to work through the immune system in the gut rather than as a building material. Hydrolysed type II collagen (such as BioCell Collagen) is used at about 1–2 g a day and also contains some chondroitin and hyaluronic acid.

Both have a small number of trials behind them, and most of those were funded by the companies that sell the branded ingredients. Independent confirmation is limited.

There is no authorised health claim for type II collagen, so we make no claims about its effects.

Typical dose: Undenatured (UC-II): 40 mg a day. Hydrolysed: about 1–2 g a day

Safety: Made from chicken: not suitable for vegetarians, and avoid if you are allergic to chicken or eggs (some people react to both). Generally well tolerated.

Research we looked at:
Lugo JP et al. (2016). Efficacy and tolerability of an undenatured type II collagen supplement in modulating knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Nutr J 15:14.
Schauss AG et al. (2012). Effect of the novel low molecular weight hydrolyzed chicken sternal cartilage extract, BioCell Collagen, on improving osteoarthritis-related symptoms: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Agric Food Chem 60(16):4096–4101.

Boswellia (Indian frankincense)· evidence: Limited

Boswellia serrata is a tree resin used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Supplements are usually extracts standardised to a percentage of boswellic acids or AKBA, often under brand names such as 5-Loxin, ApresFlex or Boswellin.

Studies have looked at boswellia extracts for joint comfort. A number of small trials and reviews report positive results, but most trials were short, small and funded by or linked to the extract makers, and the extracts and doses differ a lot. Independent, larger trials are lacking.

As a botanical, boswellia has no authorised health claim in Great Britain, so we make no claims about what it does.

Typical dose: Varies by extract: studies used about 100–250 mg of branded AKBA-rich extracts, or 300–1,000 mg of standard extracts, a day

Safety: Usually well tolerated; can cause stomach upset or heartburn. Not recommended in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Herbal extracts can interact with medicines, so speak to your GP or pharmacist first if you take regular medication, including blood thinners.

Research we looked at:
Yu G et al. (2020). Effectiveness of Boswellia and Boswellia extract for osteoarthritis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complement Med Ther 20:225.
Cameron M, Chrubasik S (2014). Oral herbal therapies for treating osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (5):CD002947.

Cost per daily dose lets you compare packs of different sizes fairly.Worked out from our current prices.