10 Vitamins and Supplements for Healthy Ligaments and Tendons

Ligaments and tendons are important connective tissues in the body. Ligaments link bones to one another, while tendons connect muscles and bones — and they're both essential for body function.

They're especially important for people who perform regular strenuous physical activities and people who have jobs that require repetitive motions, like lifting or typing.

Eating a balanced diet makes sure you're getting the right vitamins and minerals to keep your ligaments and tendons healthy. You can also take supplements if you're concerned about your ligament and tendon health.

Several vitamins and minerals are related to ligament and tendon health, and they also affect healing.

According to a March-April 2016 study in the ​American College of Sports Medicine Health and Fitness Journal​, vitamin A can help enhance collagen development. Collagen is important for the formation and function of tendons, ligaments, cartilage and bone. Vitamin A-rich foods include carrots, mangoes, squash and sweet potatoes.

According to a November 2016 study in the ​American Journal of Clinical Nutrition​, vitamin C can increase collagen production to help ligament and tendon function. Vitamin C is most commonly found in citrus fruits. Many foods have both vitamin A and vitamin C, such as leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach (which also have other beneficial vitamins and minerals).

It's important to get enough vitamin D, especially if you're physically active or suspect an injury. Vitamin D helps increase bone mineral density and strengthens the skeletal muscles, improving the tendon-to-bone healing process, per a June 2016 ​Journal of Inflammation Research​ study.

The trace minerals copper and zinc play a role in collagen production, per the Cleveland Clinic. Lack of these trace minerals results in poorer collagen synthesis and can negatively affect ligament and tendon health.

If you're concerned about the health of your ligaments and tendons and think you're not getting the recommended daily amount of vitamins and minerals, you can always take supplements.

You may want to take supplements to promote healing if you've recently had surgery or an injury. They can also be a good idea for ongoing health problems, which is why some people may opt to take supplements for tendonitis or rotator cuff injuries. Supplements typically have cross-benefits — supplements for joint and tendon health can also be used for ligaments and vice-versa.

Some examples of these supplements include:

An enzyme from the stem of the pineapple, bromelain might have wound healing properties. It's been shown to be particularly effective as a supplement for tendon repair in lab and clinical trials, per a January-March 2016 report in the ​Muscles Ligaments Tendons Journal​.

Curcumin is an antioxidant that inhibits the formation of new blood vessels. This is beneficial after tendon injuries. Consequently, curcumin can be useful as a supplement for tendon repair, per the January-March 2016 report in the ​Muscles Ligaments Tendons Journal​.

A November 2016 study in the ​American Journal of Clinical Nutrition​ showed that vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplements could be used to increase collagen production and the other beneficial effects of vitamin C.

Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are often studied together, and both have been shown to have protective effects on ligaments and tendons. They've also been shown to accelerate tendon and bone healing, per the January-March 2016 report in the ​Muscles Ligaments Tendons Journal​.

Whey protein is good for tendon growth. Daily supplements of whey protein have been linked to increasing the overall area of tendons, per a May 2013 study in the ​Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports​.