More and more people are using glucosamine supplements, either because they have been recommended to do so by their health care professional or because they heard good news stories from friends, family or the media.  People suffering from chronic osteoarthritis pain or joint pain caused by cartilage wear and tear are quick to endorse its use (particularly when used in conjunction with chrondroitin).  However what does the credible research say about the use of glucosamine supplements?

There have been a significant number of clinical research studies undertaken investigating glucosamine and chondroitin. The combined findings tend to support that either glucosamine or chondroitin is better than a placebo at reducing  the pain of arthritis . There is little evidence that they are any better than NSAIDS, however, the side effects are far fewer. 

What is Glucosamine and why might it be beneficial to our joints?

The major source of the glucosmaine supplements on the market is chitin (chitin is found in the shells of some shellfish and chemically, it is an amino monosaccharide).  Glucosamine is available in either a liquid, powder or tablet form and chemically can be either glucosamine hydrochloride, glucosamine sulphate or N-acetyl-glucosamine 

One hypothesis for the beneficial impact of glucosamine supplementation is that glucosamine is an amino sugar which is the critical building block of proteoglycans. These proteoglycans are large protein molecules that may behave in a similar way to a sponge to hold water providing connective tissues elasticity and cushioning effects. This permits a buffering action to assist protection against excessive joint wear and tear. With insufficient glucosamine in our bodies then our tendons, ligaments, bones and other body tissues would not be able to form properly.

 Normally we intake sufficient building blocks from our food to provide the proteins to synthesize healthy cartilage and connective tissue.  However as we age then the rate at which our body utilizes glucosamine may increase (because of injury or just the general degradation of age and the potential for a glucosamine deficit may arises.  With this deficit then there is the potential for reduced tissue repair, increased joint pain and osteoarthritis.  

Research Results

Currently that have been no investigations that definitively answer how glucosamine actually works within the body. There has been no direct evidence of repairing cartilage or supplementation to the synovial fluid by any method. Some supporters of glucosamine claim that there is a reduction in pain and inflammation but it is unclear how this happens and may just be a placebo effect.

There may well be some rationale behind the view that if people with osteoarthritis are deficient in some component of cartilage formation then attempting to replenish the missing components may provide some benefits.

However a lot of the research that has been carried out so far has been flawed and there are no definitive conclusions available from research reviews because of inadequate sample size, lacking research methodology, different dose sizes, and, in some case, direct conflict of interest with the manufacturers.

The conclusions of research reviews are inconclusive. Glucosamine may have some beneficial effect in lessening the pain of osteoarthritis. Whether it offers advantages over NSAIDs or Cox-2 inhibitors has yet to be determined along whether any benefits are the result of physiological changes or merely placebo effect. Some medical professionals advise that clients take glucosamine sulphate (possibly in combination with chrondroitin) for around 12 weeks. If there are no significant reductions in symptoms after this time period then there is probably no point in continuing the supplementation.

Despite the lack of conclusive proof regarding glucosamine, many health care professionals such as remedial massage therapists recommend its use. There are a wide range of glucosamine products of wildly varying quality available in the shops so please read labels carefully and always consult your health care practitioner before commencing taking any glucosamine supplements.