Herbal and Natural Supplements

Study Update: July 2005
Enrollment for the GAIT study is complete and data are being analyzed. After the data have been analyzed, the investigators will submit a report to a peer-reviewed medical or scientific journal. When the report is accepted and a publication date has been established, NCCAM will issue a press release to coincide with that publication.  ItWe estimate that results will be available late in 2005. To keep informed about NCCAM's latest news, visit the agency's Web site at nccam.nih.gov/news

How Glucosamine Sulfate Works

Glucosamine is technically a form of an amino sugar that plays a major role in cartilage formation and repair. Glucosamine stimulates the production of water-binding glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans, two essential building blocks of cartilage and also inhibits the production of chondrocytes, enzymes that break down cartilage. Glucosamine also appears to suppress the destructive enzymes collagenase and phospholipase. In effect, supplementing with glucosamine is akin to giving your body the raw materials it needs to rebuild cartilage - but naturally. Glucosamine helps to form tendons, ligaments, cartilage and nails. Glucosamine has so few side effects primarily because it is already a natural component of the body. The only problem with glucosamine is that its natural production in the body seems to fade with time, injury and aging. Supplementing with glucosamine can help replace the deficit and restore the proper glucosamine balance.

Research has also shown that when a glucosamine deficiency is corrected, the body replenishes its ability to replace worn-out joint cells and tissues.

Good evidence tells us that glucosamine can reduce symptoms of mild to moderate arthritis; growing evidence indicates that regular use can slow down the gradual worsening of arthritis that normally occurs with time.

Symptom Relief

Reasonably good evidence indicates that the supplement glucosamine effectively relieves arthritis pain and other symptoms of osteoarthritis. Two types of studies have been performed, those that compared glucosamine against placebo and those that compared it against standard medications.

In the placebo-controlled category, one of the best trials was a 3-year, double-blind study of 212 people with osteoarthritis of the knee.  Participants receiving glucosamine showed reduced symptoms as compared to those receiving placebo.

Benefits were also seen in other double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, enrolling a total of over 800 people, and ranging in length from 4 weeks to 3 years.

Double-blind studies comparing glucosamine to ibuprofen that enrolled a total of more than 400 people compared glucosamine against ibuprofen, and found glucosamine equally effective as the drug.

However, not all studies found benefit. In three studies involving a total of almost 300 individuals, use of glucosamine failed to provide any meaningful improvement in symptoms.  The explanation for this discrepancy is not clear. The authors of two of these trials suggest as a possible explanation that glucosamine might be most effective in relatively mild cases of arthritis; the participants in their studies had relatively severe arthritis.

Some studies tested combination treatments containing glucosamine and chondroitin. A 6-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 93 people with knee arthritis found that a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin (along with manganese) was more effective than placebo.

Another double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated chondroitin/glucosamine for TMJ (temporomandibular joint disease), but found equivocal results.  Finally, in a study of questionable meaningfulness, a topical cream containing glucosamine, chondroitin, camphor, and peppermint oil proved more effective than a placebo cream containing only a slight amount of peppermint oil. However, it is not clear whether it was the glucosamine and chondroitin or the camphor and peppermint oil that made the difference.

Slowing the Disease

A 3-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 212 individuals found indications that glucosamine may protect joints from further damage. Over the course of the study, individuals given glucosamine showed some actual improvement in arthritis pain and mobility, while those given placebo worsened steadily. Furthermore, x-rays showed that glucosamine treatment prevented progressive damage to the knee joint.

A separate 3-year study enrolling 202 people confirmed these results.

A more definitive study sponsored by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) is ongoing and should help sort out many unknowns about glucosamine therapy.

What Does Glucosamine DO?

Glucosamine appears to stimulate cartilage cells in the joints to make proteoglycans and collagen, two proteins essential for the proper function of joints. Glucosamine may also help prevent existing collagen from breaking down.

The following sections cover many of the potential routes to the relief of arthritic symptoms from Acupuncture to Zinc.

Some of our products for Arthritis   ....