Sea cucumber, also known as "beche de mer" and "trepang", are not actually cucumbers, but are marine animals related to starfishes and sea urchins. They have been used in China for thousands of years as a treatment for arthritis. Modern research has confirmed they are beneficial for musculoskeletal inflammatory diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis, a rheumatic disease that effects the spine. 

Researchers believe that sea cucumbers improve the balance of prostaglandins, which regulate the inflammatory process. They also contain substances known as chondroitin's, which are often lacking in people with arthritis and connective tissue disorders. In addition, sea cucumbers  provide vitamins A, B-1 (thiamine), B-2 (riboflavin), B-3 (niacin), and C, as well as the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc.