| Sixty-three patients were randomized to receive a water-soluble cream (30 mg/g of glucosamine sulfate; 50 mg/g of chondroitin sulfate, 140 mg/g of shark cartilage, 32 mg/g of camphor, and 9 mg/g of peppermint oil) or placebo for 8 weeks. Both groups reported improvement on the visual analog scale pain scores, with the treatment group improving a further 1.2 points (p=0.03) at 4 weeks and 1.8 points (p=0.002) at 8 weeks compared to the placebo group. |
| Towheed TE, Anastassiades TP, Shea B et al: glucosamine therapy for treating osteoarthritis. Cochrane Databasa Syst Rev; LCD002946. 2001
Vidal y Plana RR, Karzel K: Glukosamin. Seine Bedeutung fuer den Knorpelstoffwechsel der Gelenke. 2. Gelenkknorpel-Untersuchungen. Fortschr Med; 21:801-806. 1980
Glutamine description
Glutamine has traditionally been considered a nonessential amino acid. It is the most abundant amino acid in the body. It is produced in skeletal muscle from glutamate and ammonia catalyzed by glutamine synthetase. |
| Patients with diabetes should also be cautious, since glucosamine may affect insulin sensitivity or glucose tolerance.
The most commonly reported adverse effects are gastrointestinal disturbances, including nausea, dyspepsia, heartburn, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, anorexia, and epigastric pain. Less than 1 % of patients have reported edema, tachycardia, drowsiness, insomnia, headache, erythema, and pruritus. |
David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
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 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.
It appears that supplementation with glucosamine sulfate might stimulate the synthesis of the missing glycoproteins. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 In addition to glucosamine sulfate, there are a number of other products that can be used and have documentation. For example, MSM is a physiological form of sulfur that has been shown to enhance the effectiveness of glucosamine. Sulfur is most likely utilized in the manufacture of these cartilage components as well.
Mike: What about Celadrin?
Dr. Murray: Celadrin is a new product that has just hit the market. It's been shown in studies to be effective both topically and orally. |
Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron
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 The lightweight lotion base feels silky and contains oodles of good-for-skin ingredients, including green tea, acetyl glucosamine, and many soothing plant extracts. The only misstep (one that prevents this product from earning a Paula's Pick rating) is the addition of peppermint extract. The amount is so small as to very likely be a non-issue for skin, but why include it at all when it has no benefit for acne-prone skin?
© Acne Solutions Daytime Shield ($16for 1. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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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. |
Bill Sardi
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 Medical Hypotheses 20: 117-24, 1986]
Cancer Promoter
Other 1% Consumer Products 3% Nuclear Medicine 4%
HA is a molecule comprised of glucuronic acid and glucosamine that gels water. It is a water-holding molecule that is produced by fibroblast cells. Water is the great detoxifier and diluter of the body. When young, humans produce large amounts of hyaluronic acid. Cancer occurs in the latter years of life, when HA levels in the body are low.
The research of Dr. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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 Patients with asthma may be at risk for symptom exacerbation when taking a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin (Tallia et al 2002).
Pregnancy and lactation: Scientific evidence for the safe use of chondroitin sulfate during pregnancy and lactation is not available. drug interactions
POTENTIAL INTERACTIONS
Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Agents: Theoretically, concurrent use with chondroitin may increase the risk of bleeding. |
The Editors of FC&A
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| A number of studies show glucosamine and chondroitin improve arthritis symptoms, but critics argue that the research has been poorly done and that some studies were actually funded by companies that make the supplements.
Talk with your doctor to see if these supplements are right for you. People in most studies took 1,500 milligrams (mg) of glucosamine each day - usually 500 mg three times a day, and 1,200 mg of chondroitin every day - or 400 mg three times a day. They work slowly, so you may have to take them for two or three months before you feel results. |
Ray D. Strand
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 I personally feel that the most important nutrient is still glucosamine sulfate. Oral chondroitin needs to be studied more thoroughly in larger number of patients, allowing more plausible evidence as to whether chondroitin is really a player or not. I also believe MSM (a natural anti-inflammatory) needs to be studied more thoroughly. But I have had several patients who experienced a significant response when they added it to their regime.
Chondroitin Sulfate
Several studies show improvement in patients with arthritis who are getting additional chondroitin. |
| She also started taking 2,000 mg of glucosamine sulfate.
Peggie continued following her physical therapy guidelines and ate a balanced diet. Within a few months of beginning a nutritional supplement program, Peggie could already begin to feel and see improvement. She was less dependent on her NSAIDS and was now able to do more than she had for years. She became much more active and felt less pain. In fact she even overcame her fears and went snow skiing for the first time in years. |
Bill Sardi
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| HA is a di-saccharide, two sugarlike molecules holding hands - glucosamine and glucuronic acid. Now repeat these two molecules, like stringing paper clips together, and you end up with a long strand of HA. HA varies in molecular weight (strand length) from 2 to 6 million.
Beyond cancer cells
The widely held view that radiation induces DNA damage and DNA damage induces mutations, and mutations then cause cancer, is now in question. It is not just the cells, it is also the connective tissue that surrounds cells that must be considered in cancer prevention and therapy. |
Ray D. Strand
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| Other optimizers would be CoQlO, glucosamine sulfate, lutein, zeaxanthine, niacin, magnesium, and calcium.
Following are the basic principles and nutrients I use as optimizers in these various chronic degenerative diseases. All of my patients are taking the nutrients detailed in Table 1. I then add additional optimizers to this basic cellular nutrition program according to the seriousness of each individual case. Other than grape-seed extract, the optimizer I recommend most is CoQlO. It is not only a potent antioxidant but it is also essential for the creation of energy within the cell. |
Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron
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| Both products also contain acetyl glucosamine, though as mentioned above it shouldn't be relied on for exfoliation, and both products contain salicylic acid. Turnaround 15-Minute Facial is said to deliver the "radiance and smoothness of microdermabrasion with significantly less irritation and stress." This viscous gel-cream does indeed make skin look smooth and radiant, but the way it accomplishes that is as far removed from microdermabrasion as salmon is from a chocolate chip cookie. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
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 GLUCOSAMINE AND CHONDROITIN
Ever since Jason Theodosakis, MD, wrote his giant bestseller, The Arthritis Cure, glucosamine and chondroitin (G&C) have been the most popular alternative treatments for osteoarthritis. The promise was that these dietary supplements would relieve pain and inflammation and repair damaged cartilage. How good is the evidence that G&C live up to this reputation?
Over the years there have been numerous studies published in medical journals. |
Hyla Cass
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| National Institutes of Health, 67 percent of 1,583 participants who took both glucosamine (1,500 mg) and chondroitin (1,200 mg) daily had reduced pain. (Keep in mind that 60 percent of the participants who took a placebo also reported a reduction in pain—a testament to the power of the placebo effect!) A separate analysis of participants who had moderate to severe pain found an enhanced effect of the glu-cosamine/chondroitin (pain reduction in 79.2 percent) combination over the placebo (pain reduction in 54.3 percent). |
Carol Simontacchi
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 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.
Because chondroitin has blood-thinning effects, people who have bleeding disorders or are taking aspirin or blood-thinning medications should have their blood-clotting times checked.
The Recommended Doses
The standard recommended dosage for these supplements is 1,500 mg of glucosamine and 1,200 mg of chondroitin per day, divided into several doses. |
Ray D. Strand
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| Rheumatoid Arthritis
Again I add 1,500-2000 mg of glucosamine sulfate, 300 mg of CoQ10, 400 mg of grape-seed extract, and 200 mg of additional magnesium and calcium. And I increase the omega-3 fatty acids by adding 3 to 4 fish oil capsule or two teaspoons of cold-pressed flax seed daily.
Osteoporosis
For these patients I do not recommend adding optimizers to my recommendations on Table 1; however, I strongly encourage them to be getting the right levels of vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium and to be sure they are taking these with food. |
The Editors of FC&A
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| People in most studies took 1,500 milligrams (mg) of glucosamine each day - usually 500 mg three times a day, and 1,200 mg of chondroitin every day - or 400 mg three times a day. They work slowly, so you may have to take them for two or three months before you feel results.
Since glucosamine is made from crab shells, you may want to skip it if you're allergic to shellfish. It may also raise your blood sugar if you have diabetes, so monitor yourself carefully. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 LJ Take 400 milligrams of chondroitin sulfate and 400 to 500 milligrams of glucosamine sulfate daily. These substances are essential to joint repair. Taking glucosamine supplements reduces pain as effectively as taking ibupro-fen without tissue damage, although not as quickly. Chondroitin, although poorly absorbed through the digestive tract, is useful in increasing the effect of glucosamine.
LJ Chondroitin and glucosamine are made even more effective by supplementation with 200 to 300 milligrams of magnesium ascorbate daily. |
The Editors of FC&A
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| Since glucosamine is made from crab shells, you may want to skip it if you're allergic to shellfish. It may also raise your blood sugar if you have diabetes, so monitor yourself carefully. Chondroitin, on the other hand, may upset your stomach and could thin your blood, so avoid using it alongside blood-thinning medications like warfarin or aspirin.
And buyers beware - some glucosamine and chondroitin supplements contain dangerous amounts of manganese. Humans only need about 2 mg of this trace mineral each day. More could be toxic. |
Gary Null and Amy McDonald
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 As she became more sophisticated, she used the amino acids, especially glucosamine, an amino acid that will halt the cravings for alcohol. "If an alcoholic just opens the capsule and lets it dissolve under the tongue," she says, "it goes right across the blood brain barrier and shuts down the cravings for alcohol."
Dr. Larson has created a detox formula that includes a number of well-researched components, all natural chemicals, no toxic drugs. She had to stop using tryptophan due to the FDA ban, now lifted. |
J. Douglas Bremner
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 In 2000 a metaanalysis of studies of glucosamine and chondroitin found that the studies that were funded by supplement manufacturers resulted in more favorable results for the supplement combo than did independent studies; few of the manufacturers' studies were properly controlled. Overall there was a moderate effect for both, and the authors concluded that some degree of efficacy was probable.17
Only one of the studies reviewed in 2000 reported that patients definitely did not know whether they were being given a supplement or a placebo. |
| 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. The primary source of government information on eating healthy is its widely distributed food pyramid, which is constructed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). |
Carol Simontacchi
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| Supplements of glucosamine and chondroitin, which are extracted from animal tissue, have been found to support cartilage repair, thereby reducing both pain and inflammation. Many researchers have found that effectiveness is increased by using these products together.
The Science Behind It
Glucosamine and chondroitin have been studied for many years. |
Marshall Editions
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 Take 1,500 mg daily of glucosamine with 1,200 mg of chondroitin. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) has natural anti-inflammatory benefits and contains the mineral sulfur, an important component of cartilage. Take 4,000-8,000 mg daily. Take 500 mg of niacinamide, which has been reported to help arthritic patients, three times a day. Higher dosages should be supervised by a doctor. Take 250 mg of sulfur four times a day as it is important for cartilage structure. Vitamin C is beneficial in collagen synthesis repair, a major component of bone. Take 1-3 g a day. |
| Take 1,500 mg daily of glucosamine with 1,200 mg of chondroitin. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) has natural anti-inflammatory benefits and contains the mineral sulfur, which is an important component of cartilage. Take 4,000-8,000 mg daily.
Herbs: Take 500 mg of bromelain three times a day for its natural anti-inflammatory effects. Cayenne cream can help to inhibit the transmission of pain messages to the brain. Apply the cream directly to the affected area two to four times a day. Devil's claw can help to ease pain in the joints. |
| Although recent studies suggest that glucosamine and chondroiten are not as worthwhile as once thought, some case reports indicate otherwise. Some may find that they are beneficial while others do not. Capsaicin cream can be helpful when applied topically, but sometimes causes irritation. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) has surfaced as an important vitamin in osteoarthritis. Doses much higher than the recommended daily allowance are used so consult a doctor regarding an appropriate dose. |
| Take 1,500 mg of glucosamine daily with 1,200 mg of chondroitin. Take 4,000-8,000 mg of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) a day for its I natural anti-inflammatory benefits. Niacinamide has been clinically reported to help arthritis, which can present as knee pain. Take 500 mg three times a day. Higher doses should be supervised by a doctor. Methionine is a sulfur-containing amino acid that is important for cartilage structure, and has also been shown to have benefits in arthritic patients. Take 250 mg four times a day. |
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