J. Douglas Bremner
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 Overall the studies of glucosamine and chondroitin show some evidence for efficacy of the combination, although the results are not definitive. These supplements do not have potentially dangerous side effects, unlike other medications for arthritis, like Celebrex. Therefore I would not try to dissuade you from taking glucosamine and chondroitin for arthritis pain. See Chapter 2 for more information on arthritis treatments.
The Bottom Line
We often look to and depend on government experts to accurately tell us how to eat healthy and live right. |
Antoinette Saville and Antony J. Haynes
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 NAG (N-Acetyl-Glucosamine) - Glutamine is also the precursor molecule for glucosamine production in the body. glucosamine is essential for making mucin, the protective layer in the intestinal wall. Therefore, NAG is an important adjunctive nutrient in supporting the intestinal lining.
Butyric Acid - This is a naturally-occurring short-chain fatty acid found in butter but also made within your intestine. It has a number of functions, primarily limited to the intestine and liver. It is the most important and abundant short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) feeding the cells in the colon. |
Hyla Cass
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 Dose: Start with 1,500 mg of glucosamine plus 1,200 mg of chondroitin, or start out with glucosamine only, adding chondroitin only if you don't feel benefits within about three months' time.
Boswellia serrata
Boswellia is a traditional Ayurvedic medicinal herb. It has been used to relieve arthritic symptoms for thousands of years. Modern research has pitted Boswellia against NSAIDs and found that it may be a more effective anti-inflammatory than the drugs. |
| Glucosamine/chondroitin: 1,500 mg of glucosamine sulfate per day alone to start; if you don't discern any benefit within three months, try adding 1,200 mg of chondroitin daily
?MSM: Up to 6 grams daily
?Turmeric: 400-600 mg three times daily
Don't forget to follow the diet and multivitamin recommendations from Chapter 2. All forms of arthritis respond well to natural treatments, including supplements. Most of these treatments are side-effect free, and they treat the problem at its root cause rather than simply addressing the symptoms. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Not only that, the glucosamine sulfate group showed a significant improvement in their WOMAC Index (a standardized measure of pain) while there was a trend for worsening of pain in the placebo group.
Let's face it: Joint pain is uncomfortable and frustrating, especially for those who are used to living an active life. For relief from the pain, many reach for remedies like the prescription drugs in the category known as COX-2 inhibitors (Celebrex and Vioxx are famous examples), or pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Aleve). |
Carol Simontacchi
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 Because glucosamine is an amino sugar, however, it is thought that it may worsen insulin resistance, a major cause of diabetes. Therefore, people with diabetes should monitor their blood-sugar levels particularly carefully when using this supplement. There have been no reports of allergic reactions to glucosamine, but because this supplement is made from shellfish shells, people who are allergic to seafood should use it with caution or avoid it entirely. |
Patrick Holford
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 Some researchers now feel that glucosamine hydrochloride may be the best form because it has a slightly higher concentration of glucosamine in the molecule (83 percent versus 80 percent for glucosamine sulfate) and has better stability.37
MSM, which stands for methyl sulfonyl methane, is a source of the essential mineral sulfur. Sulfur is involved in a multitude of key body functions, including pain control, regulation of inflammation, detoxification, and tissue building. |
Donna Jackson Nakazawa
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 Researchers believe that glucosamine may prove useful in human trials for those suffering from MS.
PROBIOTICS. One area in which a great deal of research has been done in autoimmune-disease patients is that of probiotic supplementation. Preparations of living microbial cells that are commonly referred to as "friendly bacteria" are prescribed to repair the gut in patients with inflammatory autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 You might find a lot of formulas with glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and MSM in them. They're foundational nutrients.
Now we go to the next level. You have inflammation in the joints. You need to knock that inflammation down. The nutrients we just talked about slowly rebuild and repair connective tissues over the course of weeks or months. We put other nutrients in Joint Health Formula that act much more quickly, like tumeric and quercetin chalcone.
If you have inflammation, you have pain. |
Mark Sircus
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 Between 2000 and the present, FDA prohibits companies that sell glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate from telling Americans that those dietary ingredients treat osteoarthritis and relieve osteoarthritic pain and stiffness. Approximately 20 million Americans suffer needlessly from osteoarthritis.
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Since ending one s life with cancer is not pleasant it behooves all of us to be concerned with its prevention.
""1 WT" t certainly is time to get serious about cancer prevention, with the disease predicted to surge in the next 15 years. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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| In the June 2004 journal Clinical Drug Investigations, scientists reported that glucosamine and MSM individually improved pain and swelling in arthritic joints; the combination of the two was more effective in reducing symptoms and improving the function of joints.
And speaking of sulfur-containing natural compounds, there's bromelain, the general name for a group of sulfur-containing enzymes that digest protein. Derived from pineapple, bromelain's usefulness in osteoarthritis comes from its anti-inflammatory properties. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 The next ingredient we have is glucosamine HCL. This glucosamine works to lower the effective glycemic index of whatever carbohydrates you may have eaten. This ingredient is better known for its positive impact on joint health and in eliminating or reducing joint pain associated with arthritis, but it does in fact have some effect on the blood sugar impact of foods you have eaten.
The next ingredient is citrus naringin, which is a citrus extract occasionally used as an appetite suppressant, but is probably better known as a source of fiber. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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| Since almost all dogs eventually suffer from arthritis, and larger dogs frequently suffer with a painful joint condition called hip dysplasia, the use of glucosamine is of more than theoretical use in veterinary practice. And there are no "placebo effects" with dogs. They don't get better because they think they're "supposed" to— they either feel (and act) better or they don't. |
| Oil Those Joints
Cetyl myristoleate or CMO is less known than glucosamine or chondroitin, but is also worth knowing about if you have arthritis pain. Clinical studies have shown that it increases joint mobility for up to 60 percent of the people who take it.
CMO is an all-natural oil found in certain animals like cows, whales, mice, and beavers. Harry W. Diehl, Ph.D., a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, first discovered it in 1972. It has been used in a lot of arthritis research over the last 25 years. |
| Well-absorbed and associated with only minor side effects, chondroitin sulfate can also decrease pain and slow the rate of cartilage loss in people with osteoarthritis. The Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in 2005 reported that the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate is at least as effective as the prescription drug cele-coxib (brand name Celebrex) in treating pain caused by moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee. So for best results, use them together. |
Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron
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 Clinique has taken a cue from parent company Estee Lauder and included acetyl glucosamine, which they believe is an effective non-acid exfoliating agent, although there is still no substantiated research proving this ingredient's effectiveness as an alternative to AHA or BHA exfoliants. It does have excellent water-binding properties for skin, and complements the other skin-beneficial ingredients in this product quite well. |
David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
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 This substance is found in all connective tissue and mucous membranes. glucosamine macromolecules are the basic substrate of cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and bones.
During normal use, connective tissue is constantly broken down and either replaced or restructured, creating a continuous demand for glucosamine. The normal diet is not a good source of glucosamine, so the body synthesizes it from glucose and the amino acid glutamine. |
Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron
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| VITAMIN C
Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, L-ascorbic acid, ascorbyl glucosamine, and ascorbic acid are the various forms of vitamin C considered stable and effective antioxidants for skin. Very few studies show them to have benefit for inhibiting melanin production, but what little there is has been positive. The problem is that in these studies, researchers used high concentrations (more than 5%) of these ingredients, an amount rarely used in cosmetic formulations. |
Dr. Steve Blake
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 Special supplements for joint and bone health may contain large amounts of manganese ascorbate along with chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride. This type of supplement has been found to relieve pain in some cases of mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee.
MANGANESE TOXICITY
Manganese toxicity from food alone has not been reported, although some diets provide as much as 20 mg daily. The Food and Nutrition Board has set a rather conservative tolerable upper intake level (UL) of 11 mg for adults. The UL for children ranges from 2 mg to 6 mg and the UL for adolescents is 9 mg. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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| In one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the journal Clinical Drug Investigation, the addition of only 500 mg of MSM to 500 mg of glucosamine resulted in greater reduction of pain and swelling, improvement of functional ability of joints, and better and more rapid improvement, all without major adverse effects. (And in my opinion, the results are way better with higher doses—as happened with my hiking buddy. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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 Leffler CT, Philippi AF, Leffler SG et al: glucosamine, chondroitin, and manganese ascorbate for degenerative joint disease of the knee or low back: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. Mil Med; 164(2):85-91. 1999
Liesegang TJ: Viscoelastic substances in ophthalmology. Surv Ophthalmol; 34(4):268-293. 1990
Mazieres B, Combe B, Phan Van A et al: Chondroitin sulfate in osteoarthritis of the knee: a prospective, double blind, placebo controlled multicenter clinical study. J Rheumatol; 28(1):173-178. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
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 Super Prescription #1 glucosamine sulfate
Take 1,500 mg daily. Many formulas combine it with 600 to 1,200 mg of chondroitin sulfate, a related compound that also reduces joint pain and rebuilds cartilage. Benefits are usually noticed within four to eight weeks.
Note: glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are specific remedies only for osteoarthritis.
Super Prescription #2 Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)
Take 2,000 to 8,000 mg daily. MSM has natural anti-inflammatory benefits and contains the mineral sulfur, an integral component of cartilage. Reduce the dosage if diarrhea occurs. |
| A three-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 212 people with knee osteoarthritis found that 1,500 mg of glucosamine sulfate taken daily significantly reduced symptoms. In addition, diagnostic images found that people supplementing glucosamine had no significant joint space loss, while those on placebo had joint deterioration.
Seven Prescriptions—Arthritis
Super Prescription #7 Cayenne {Capsicum Apply the cream to the affected relief. Choose a cream standardized Capsaicin depletes the nerves of substance messages. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 And what was happening, I was noticing that after we played basketball -- and you know, we played for two hours full court, so it was pretty intense -- they'd be popping ibuprofen and aspirin and other anti-inflammatories, and I would be taking glucosamine sulfate and my vitamin C, and my lipoic acid and such.
What was happening was that by taking those anti-inflammatory agents they were decreasing their pain and stiffness afterwards, but they were also blocking the body's ability to repair the damaged tissue, whereas glucosamine sulfate supports the body's own healing process. |
David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
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| The normal diet is not a good source of glucosamine, so the body synthesizes it from glucose and the amino acid glutamine. Normally, the body produces enough glucosamine, but under some conditions, the production of glucosamine and its subsequent assembly into larger GAGs may be impaired. These conditions include severe stress, surgery, burns, and major injuries, as well as aging. A lack of glycoproteins or other substances based on amino sugars has been observed in many diseases, including osteoarthritis. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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 These include vitamin A (as palmitate), bioflavonoids (from citrus), L-arginine, quercetin, N-acetyl glucosamine, corn silk, kava root, and Oregon grape root.
Although the cause of IC is unknown, it is important to consider the possible causes to
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KEY CONCEPTS
• IC is a noninfectious chronic condition characterized by pelvic and/or perineal pain, urinary urgency, urinary frequency, bladder pain, and urination at night.
• IC is difficult to diagnose with any test; tests are mostly done to rule out other causes of the symptoms. |
Hyla Cass
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| A study published in 2005 found that a combination of glucosamine (see above) and MSM were more effective, more quickly, than either one alone. Even separately, both significantly relieved OA pain. Another study of MSM alone, this one from 2006, enrolled fifty men and women aged forty to seventy-six, all of whom had knee OA. They got either 3 grams of MSM daily or a placebo twice a day for twelve weeks. The MSM reduced pain and improved function significantly more than the placebo, with no negative side effects.
Dose: Take up to 6 grams daily of MSM. |
Nicola Reavley
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 Sources
There are no food sources of glucosamine.
Supplements
Glucosamine sulfate seems to be the most beneficial form of glucosamine. It may be given orally, intravenously, intramuscularly, and intra-articularly (injected into joints).
Toxic effects
Toxic effects are rare.
Therapeutic uses of supplements
Glucosamine is used to help the body to repair damaged or eroded cartilage and has been used to treat osteoarthritis. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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| Cohen M, Wolfe R, Mai T et al: A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial of a topical cream containing glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, and camphor for osteoarthritis of the knee. J Rheumatol; 30(3):523-528. 2003
Conte A, de Bernardi M, Palmieri L et al: Metabolic fate of exogenous chondroitin sulfate in man. Arzneimittelforschung; 41(7):768-772. 1991
Leeb BF, Schweitzer H, Montag K et al: A meta-analysis of chondroitin sulfate in the treatment of osteoarthritis. J Rheumatol; 27(1):205-211. |
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