|
This promising arthritis fighter helps build cartilage (which
provides cushioning at the tips of the bones) and protects
and strengthens the joints as it relieves pain and stiffness.
Although your body produces some glucosamine, a supplement
is more effective.
What Is It
Scientists have long known that the body manufactures a small
amount of glucosamine (pronounced glue-KOSE-a-mean), a fairly
simple molecule that contains the sugar glucose. It’s
found in relatively high concentrations in the joints and
connective tissues, where the body uses it to form the larger
molecules necessary for cartilage repair and maintenance.
In recent years, glucosamine has become available as a nutritional
supplement. Various forms are sold, including glucosamine
sulfate and N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG). Glucosamine sulfate
is the preferred form for arthritis It is readily used by
the body (90% to 98% is absorbed through the intestine) and
appears to be very effective for this condition.
What Does It Do
Though some experts hail glucosamine as an arthritis cure,
no one supplement can claim that title. It does, however,
provide significant relief from pain and inflammation for
about half of arthritis sufferers, especially those with the
common age-related form known as osteoarthritis. It can also
help people with rheumatoid arthritis and other types of joint
injuries, and it offers additional benefits as well.
Common Uses
• Relieves pain, stiffness, and swelling of the knees,
fingers, and other joints due to osteoarthritis or rheumatoid
arthritis.
• Helps reduce arthritic back and neck pain.
• May speed the healing of sprains and strengthen joints,
preventing future injury.
Major Benefits
Approved for the treatment of arthritis in some 70 countries
around the world, glucosamine can ease pain and inflammation,
increase range of motion, and help repair aging and damaged
joints in the knees, hips, spine, and hands. Recent studies
show that it may be even more effective for relieving pain
and inflammation than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen, commonly taken by
arthritis sufferers (without their harmful side effects).
What’s more, while NSAIDs mask arthritis pain, they
do little to combat the progression of the disease, and may
even make it worse by impairing the body’s ability to
build cartilage. In contrast, glucosamine helps make cartilage
and may repair damaged joints. Though it can’t do much
for people with advanced arthritis, when cartilage has completely
worn away, it may benefit the millions of people with mild
to moderately severe symptoms.
Additional Benefits
As a general joint strengthener, glucosamine may be useful
for the prevention of arthritis and all forms of age-related
degenerative joint disease. It may also speed healing of acute
joint injuries, such as a sprained ankle or finger.
In addition to aiding joints and connective tissues, glucosamine
promotes a healthy lining in the digestive tract and may be
beneficial in treating ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome.
It is included in various “intestinal health”
preparations sold in health-food stores, usually in the form
of N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG), which tends to act specifically
on the intestinal lining.
How To Take It
Dosage: The usual dosage for arthritis and other
conditions is 500 mg glucosamine sulfate three times a day,
or 1,500 mg daily. This amount has been shown to be safe for
all individuals and effective for most. People weighing more
than 200 pounds or taking diuretics may need higher daily
doses (about 900 mg per 100 pounds of body weight); talk to
your doctor about an appropriate dosage.
Guidelines For Use: Glucosamine is typically
taken long term and appears to be very safe. It may not bring
relief as quickly as pain relievers or anti-inflammatories
(it usually works in two to eight weeks), but its benefits
are far greater and longer-lasting when it’s used over
a period of time. Take glucosamine with meals to minimize
the chance of digestive upset.
Glucosamine’s anti-arthritis effects may be enhanced
by using it along with another supplement, such as chondroitin
sulfate (a related cartilage-building compound), niacinamide
(a form of the B vitamin niacin), or S-adenosylmethionine
(SAM), a form of the amino acid methionine. Other supplements
that are sometimes taken along with glucosamine for the relief
of arthritis include boswellia, a tree extract from India;
sea cucumber, an ancient Chinese remedy; and the topical pain
reliever cayenne cream. No adverse reactions have been reported
when glucosamine is used with other supplements or with prescription
or over-the-counter medications.
Possible Side Effects
Because it is a natural substance produced in the body, glucosamine
is virtually free of side effects, though no long-term studies
have been done. Gastrointestinal effects, such as heartburn
or nausea, occur rarely in those who take glucosamine supplements.
Facts and Tips
Supplements are the best source of extra glucosamine because
dietary sources of the nutrient are quite obscure. Items that
are relatively rich in glucosamine include the shells of shrimp,
crabs, and oysters.
Latest Findings
• A study conducted in China at the Beijing Union Medical
College Hospital, involving 178 patients with osteoarthritis
of the knee, showed that 1,500 mg of glucosamine sulfate taken
daily was just as effective in reducing the symptoms of the
disease as 1,200 mg of ibuprofen, and was significantly better
tolerated by the patients.
• Scientists in San Diego believe that oral administration
of glucosamine for a few days immediately following surgery
may help speed healing. It may also reduce surgical scarring
and the complications it can cause, suggesting another possible
use for this supplement.
|
