Glucosamine is a natural substance in your body that helps form the cushioning material called cartilage in your joints. Use of glucosamine supplements may help reduce the effects of a joint-damaging condition called osteoarthritis. However, current studies on glucosamine's effectiveness show conflicting results, and beneficial results may be limited to particular types of glucosamine supplements.
Glucosamine Supplements
Most glucosamine supplements come from a substance in the hard outer shells of shellfish called chitin, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. You can buy glucosamine in formulations that include glucosamine hydrochloride, n-acetyl glucosamine and glucosamine sulfate. These products are available as powders, tablets and capsules. In many cases, glucosamine supplements combine glucosamine with another cartilage component called chondroitin, or with the element manganese. You can also get n-acetyl glucosamine as an enema preparation, in addition to injectable forms of glucosamine available from your doctor.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative form of arthritis that eats away the cartilage in your joints, according to MedlinePlus. When your cartilage disappears, bone-on-bone contact in your joints can produce symptoms that include aching pain, swelling, movement limitations and weakness in the muscles and ligaments that support your knee. In most cases, osteoarthritis also triggers the abnormal formation of new bone tissue around your affected joint. Most people have some degree of osteoarthritis by the time they reach 70, MedlinePlus notes.
Conflicting Results
In 2006 and 2008, the National Institutes of Health conducted a study on glucosamine called the Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial, or GAIT. While the first phase of this study did not show pain reduction in all participants, it did show pain reduction in individuals with moderate or severe knee osteoarthritis. The study creators did not try to differentiate between the potential effects of glucosamine and chondroitin. In the second phase of the trial, researchers did try to separate the effects of each of these substances. However, participants in this second phase did not show any treatment improvements from chondroitin or glucosamine.
Glucosamine Sulfate
Studies performed with glucosamine sulfate samples from a European manufacturer show treatment benefits in individuals who have mild or moderate osteoarthritis, MayoClinic.com reports. However, studies performed on patients with severe arthritis and studies performed with other forms of glucosamine did not produce the same positive results. Researchers do not know if the potential benefits of glucosamine sulfate are limited to the specific product under study, or if any type of glucosamine sulfate could help your osteoarthritis-related joint problems. MayoClinic.com recommends further testing of various formulations of glucosamine.
Considerations
In studies that do show positive results from glucosamine use, the University of Maryland Medical Center lists potential benefits that include pain reduction, improved joint function and decreases in stiffness and swelling. In some cases, these benefits may continue for as long as three months after glucosamine use ends. If you use glucosamine, it may take as long as two to four months to gain any treatment benefit. Consult your doctor for more information and advice on glucosamine supplementation.
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