The skeleton of sharks is almost entirely comprised of cartilage. The shark cartilage is rich in glycosaminoglycans (GAG’s), large macromolecules which are found in all our joints, blood vessels and organs. The body’s ability to make GAG’s decreases after age 40 and therefore it is critical to have enough supplements in order to allow proper joint structure and function. In addition, shark cartilage is very low in fat content and thus does not require harsh organic solvent extractions to remove the fat.

Sharks have powerful immune systems. One agent which may be responsible for this incredible immunity is the presence in shark cartilage of an anti-angiogenesis substance, which inhibits the growth of blood vessels into solid tumors, and thus keeps tumors from growing. Cartilage is the tough elastic connective tissue found between the bones of mammals. The entire skeleton of sharks is made of cartilage. A protein substance was extracted from shark cartilage with anti-angiogenesis and anti-tumor effects. Shark cartilage appears to provide a substance with the ability to block the growth of new blood vessels and thus could be a major breakthrough in the treatment of a variety of diseases.

This page is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the medicinal ingredient.