Latest
Studies on Glucosamine
by Barbara D. Allan
Author of Conquering Arthritis
Glucosamine
and chondroitin both have a good track record for helping
folks with arthritis. They work well separately, and even
better when taken together. The standard therapeutic dose
is 1500mg/day of glucosamine and 1200 of chondroitin/day.
It generally takes 1- 2 months to start seeing an effect.
In my latest review of the medical research, I found
one study that showed that 1500mg/day of glucosamine
for 12 weeks produced noticeable improvements in symptoms
in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
To my surprise, the most recent studies on glucosamine
for osteoarthritis are mixed. Some studies show glucosamine
reduces osteoarthritis pain and increases joint functionality.
Other studies report no effect. This may because some
commercial brands of glucosamine (and chondroitin) do
not actually contain the full amount stated on the label.
I noticed the studies indicating that glucosamine had
no effect did not verify that the glucosamine and/or
chondroitin products they were using really contained
the dosages listed on the label.
To avoid buying brands that do not deliver what they
promise, it is wise to only buy these supplements from
reputable companies, preferably ones with third party
certification of the contents.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin:
Which Brands to Avoid, Which to Buy
The June 2006 issue of Consumer Reports
describes tests of 17 different brands of glucosamine
and chondroitin. Of these, 13 out of the 17 brands contained
at least 90% the amounts of glucosamine and chondroitin
listed on the label.
The top brand was: Kirkland Signature Extra
Strength Glucosamine HCL and Chondroitin Sulfate
(Costco), which contained more than 100% of the labeled
amounts and cost only $0.25 per day for a therapeutic
dose.
Brands ranked 2-5 were:
- Spring Value Glucosamine & Chondroitin
Double Strength (Wal-Mart)
- Target Triple Strength Glucosamine and Chondroitin
Complex
- Vitamin World Glucosamine Chondroitin Double
Strength
- Vitasmart Double Strength Glucosamine &Chondroitin
(Kmart)
A therapeutic dose of these cost between $0.40 and
$0.40 per day.
Other brands tested containe adequate amounts of glucosamine
and chondroitin but cost as much as $1.25/day for a
therapeutic dose.
Consumer Reports characterized
two brands as inadequate. This is because
they contained significantly less chondroitin than the
label said.
These two brands are:
- FlexAble Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sugar
Free Chewables with Vitamin C which had only
60% of the labeled amount of chondroitin
- Trader Darwin's Glucosamine Chondroitin
(Trader Joe's) which had only 10% of the labeled amount.
Website
Special
Buy a copy of the book Conquering Arthritis
at regular price and receive a free copy the article,
'Researching Promising Arthritis Therapies Using PubMed.'
This article explains how to use a free internet resource
to:
- verify (or debunk) the scientific claims made for
products that claim to help arthritis
- check out the track record for various types of
arthritis treatments, using the medical literature.
|
