What are Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate?

Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate are two substances that occur naturally in the body. Glucosamine is an amino sugar and it is often believed that it is partly responsible for cartilage repair and formation. Chondroitin sulfate is part of a large protein molecule (proteoglycan) that is responsible for giving cartilage elasticity.

Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are often sold as dietary or nutritional supplements. The two substances are produced from varying types of animal tissue. Glucosamine is retrieved from the shells of lobster, crab and shrimp. Chondroitin sulfate is derived from animal cartilage often the animals tracheas and the cartilage of sharks.

 What do they do?

Glucosamine is often used as a treatment for the condition osteoarthritis. It is often given to people who suffer from mild to moderate cases of osteoarthritis (OA). Its use as a therapy for osteoarthritis appears safe, but there are different schools of thought as it relates to its effectiveness. People who suffer from this condition often report relief compared to other types of medication.

Some research shows that these supplements might also slow cartilage damage in people with osteoarthritis. Since glucosamine is a precursor for glycosaminoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans are a major component of joint cartilage, supplemental glucosamine may help to rebuild cartilage and treat arthritis.

Glucosamine is also used in veterinary circles for the treatments of dogs and is used mainly as a supplement.

Glucosamine Dosage

Glucosamine comes in a wide variety of doses. The majority of products on the market today contain at least 1000mg of glucosamine. The reason for this amount is that most clinical trials used at least 1000 mg per day as their dose sizes. There are different doses available ranging from 300mg, 500mg, 750mg and 1000mg. The downside to these does is that you may have to take several tablets to get to the recommended amount of 1500mg a day.

How do I take them?

If you plan to take glucosamine supplements then you should consult your doctor about the proper dosage. The typical dosage is usually 1,500 mg per day. If taken in with chondroitin sulfate then that is usually 1,200 mg per day.

Glucosamine is often sold in combination with other supplements such as chondroitin sulfate and methylsulfonylmethane

You can try these supplements with your current medication. This should be done in a period lasting between six to eight weeks. If you take it and do not experience any difference in the symptoms then you probably will not get any relief from using the supplements.

 

Safe Usage of Glucosamine

Medical studies have shown that glucosamine is safe and no adverse side effects have been noted. It needs to be noted that it is derived from shellfish and this is important to know as many people have allergic reactions to this product. It has been noted that while glucosamine is derived from the shell, people who are allergic might not have any adverse reaction.

Another concern in taking glucosamine vitamins is the possibility that it can add to the development of diabetes.  This is because it possibly could interfere with the regulation of hexosamine biosynthesis pathway. While this is a concern, there has been studies that show there is no evidence that this occurs.

If you live in the United States of America, then the use of glucosamine has not been approved by the FDA to be used in humans. Glucosamine is classified as a dietary supplement and as a result the safety aspects are the responsibility of the manufacturer. The FDA has no control over the safety because it is not being advertised as a treatment for medical conditions.
This is different in Europe as glucosamine is approved as a medical drug and is sold in the form of glucosamine sulphate.

What do I look for?
Because dietary supplements are unregulated, the quality and content may vary widely. If you decide to take these supplements:

• Choose products sold by large, well-established companies that can be held accountable.
• Read the product labels carefully to make sure the ingredient lists make sense to you. If you have trouble, ask your pharmacists for help.
• Be sure to consult your doctor before deciding to try these supplements.
• Make sure that OA is the cause of your pain.
• Do not stop or reduce your current prescribed medications without talking with your doctor.

Recommended doses should cost about $1 to $3 per day, but most insurance companies do not cover this cost.
Are there side effects?

If you take glucosamine then there are some side effects that are common. These include but are not limited to softened stools and intestinal gas.  If this occurs then you should consider taking a different brand or you could stop taking this product.
As stated above, glucosamine is taken from the shell of shell fish. This means that people who are allergic to shell fish might have some adverse reactions to this product.

Cautions

• Women who are pregnant or women who might get pregnant and children should not take these supplements. There have been no long term studies conducted to determine the effect of these supplements on children or developing fetuses.
  
• Glucosamine is an amino sugar; this means that people who have diabetes should check the level of their blood sugar very regularly.
  
• If you are taking chondroitin sulfate along with a blood-thinning medication or daily aspirin therapy then you should have your blood clotting time checked more often. The supplement has a similar structure to the blood-thinning drug heparin. A combination of both can cause bleeding in some people.
  
• If you are allergic to shellfish you should check with your doctor to ensure that glucosamine is safe for you to take.