Cetyl Myristolerate is the key ingredient in Natural Stride which is the joint supplement that we have been giving to Sherman for well over a year now.

When we first started giving it I wasn’t familiar with Cetyl Myristolerate so I thought we could have a little lesson on what Cetyl Myristolerate is because it’s pretty darn cool.

What is it?

Cetyl myristoleate is a fatty acid ester of myristoleic acid, a common fatty acid found in fish oils, animal fats, dairy products and butter. Cows, beavers, sperm whales and mice are said to produce Cetyl Myristoleate naturally.

It was discovered in 1972 by Harry W. Diehl, Ph.D., a researcher at the National Institutes of Health. At the time, Dr. Diehl was testing anti-inflammatory drugs on lab animals. He discovered that cetyl myristoleate circulates in the blood of mice and makes them immune to arthritis. For some reason, Harry did nothing with his discovery until 1977 when he applied for and received a use patent for the treatment and prevention of rheumatoid arthritis with cetyl myristoleate. He got the patent but no pharmaceutical company was interested in continuing his research for an arthritis cure. This was most likely because cetyl myristoleate occurs naturally so a patent cannot be obtained. So years went by and in 1991 Harry developed osteoarthritis in his hands, knees, and feet. After considerable medical treatment, Harry’s doc told him that nothing could be done medically to alleviate his pain. Harry , returned to his lab and whipped up a batch of cetyl myristoleate. He applied it topically and saw great results so Harry started to share cetyl myristoleate with friends and family. In March 1994 Harry published his research in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Since that time, health care practitioners including veterinarians, who use safe, drug-free alternatives have been discovering this product and its often remarkable effects on many types of arthritis in humans and animals.

What does it do?

Cetyl Myristoleate is said to have similar anti-inflammatory effect like essential fatty acids, only stronger and longer lasting because it is an ester form which is highly resistant to oxidation making it stay in the body longer. It is said it act as a lubricant for the involved joints and also lubricates the entire body, making muscles glide smoothly over other muscles and bones and at the same time softens these tissues, making them more pliable. Secondly, it is said  to function as an immune system modulator.  Last, it is said to be like one of the good fatty acids in that it mediates the inflammatory processes.

While Cetyl Myristolerate can be beneficial on its own many have seen great success in treating dogs with arthritis when combing it with other products such as glucosamine and MSM which is a one of the reasons why I have chosen Natural Stride to be our joint supplement of choice for Sherman. (check out all the ingredients in Natural Stride here)  It’s important to note that while this product worked well on Sherman, every dog is different. We tried several different joint supplements on Sherman before finding one that worked well for him.

Side Effects

At this time there is no known side effects of Cetyl Myristolerate in dogs but it’s always recommended to check with your veterinarian.

Sooooo….I got a little carried with that explanation as I normally do but I thought Harry’s story was super cool and I had to share.

Since you were kind enough to let me explain that here’s a quick StridePack giveaway curiosity of our friends over at Natural Solutions for Life.

Just follow the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Side note-Natural Stride contains the natural powder form of Cetyl Myristolerate.

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