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GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE POWDER
Glucosamine - the wonder arthritis supplement
Is glucosamine the magic supplement it claims to be?
Does glucosamine check cartilage deterioration and relieve pain?
Does glucosamine help prevent arthritis?
Questions and more questions. So does glucosamine deliver what it promises?
Glucosamine is very beneficial in the treatment for arthritis and is backed by
numerous double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. In these studies, glucosamine has been
shown to rehabilitate cartilage; reduce the progression of osteoarthritis; and
significantly lessen pain from arthritis. However, one glucosamine product can be very
different from another.
Glucosamine also has very few side effects in
comparison to COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex, Vioxx or NSAIDs like Aleve, aspirin, and
ibuprofen, which can erode your digestive tract and cause internal bleeding, liver failure
or death when taken over time or in people over the age of about 45 when your >
In European countries medicinal glucosamine has been prescribed for arthritis for many
years, and more recently it has appeared on the American market as a dietary supplement.
It is often taken with chondroitin sulfate. Both substances occur naturally in the >
The Glucosamine Study
A new study may be good news for glucosamine. Published in the Lancet, the study
was well designed, lasted three years, and included more than 100 people. It found that
people with mild-to-moderate knee arthritis who took 1,500 milligrams of purified,
standardized glucosamine once a day for three years had, on average, 20 to 25% less pain
and disability than those taking a placebo (dummy pill). X-ray exams showed that in those
taking glucosamine, arthritis progressed slowly or not at all, while the placebo group
continued to lose cartilage at the expected rate. Moreover, glucosamine produced no
adverse side effects. And it did not affect blood glucose over the three-year period.
Nevertheless, the study showed that glucosamine helped slow deterioration of cartilage and
relieved pain.
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, May 2001
Study #1
Osteoarthritis: Glucosamine Sulfate vs. Placebo
Italian researchers found that people taking glucosamine sulfate improved twice as much
and twice as quickly, compared to those taking placebo, in a randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled study of 80 people with established osteoarthritis. During the 30 day
trial, participants were assigned to take either 250 mg of glucosamine sulfate three times
daily or placebo. Researchers measured the degree of articular pain, joint tenderness and
swelling, and restriction of active and passive movements on a scale of zero to four,
before treatment and after seven, 14, 21, and 30 days. After one month, the glucosamine
group experienced a 73% reduction in overall symptoms, compared to 41% in the placebo
group. Improvement was visible in the glucosamine group within 20 days, compared to 36
days in the placebo group. During electron microscopy testing, researchers found that
cartilage samples taken from the placebo group showed a typical picture of osetoarthritis,
while samples from the glucosamine group were more similar to healthy cartilage. Reports
of minor side effects were similar in both treatment groups. Researchers concluded that
glucosamine improves osteoarthritis by rebuilding damaged cartilage. It has minimal side
effects and no known contraindications or drug interactions, making it suitable for
long-term treatment [Drovanti, 1980].
Study #2
Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Glucosamine Sulfate vs. Ibuprofen
Researchers found that glucosamine sulfate was just as effective and better tolerated than
ibuprofen, in a randomized, double-blind study of 200 people with painful, active
osteoarthritis of the knee. During the four-week trial, participants were assigned to take
either 1500 mg of glucosamine or 1200 mg of ibuprofen daily in two divided doses.
Researchers measured improvement on a weekly basis, as a reduction of the Lequesne's Index
(a standard scale for measuring pain, maximum walking distance, and limitation of motion
in daily activities) and through an overall physical assessment. Although patients taking
the drug therapy initially improved more quickly, the two therapies had a similar success
rate from the second week until the end of the study (52% for ibuprofen compared to 48%
for glucosamine). There was a significant difference in the number of side effects and
drop-outs between the two groups. In the glucosamine group, there were six reports of side
effects and one drop out, compared to 35 reports of side effects and seven drop-outs in
the ibuprofen group. Researchers concluded that glucosamine is a safer, albeit slightly
slower, alternative to drug therapies for osteoarthritis [Muller-Fassbender,
1994].
Study #3
Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Glucosamine Sulfate vs. Placebo
Researchers found that glucosamine sulfate was significantly more effective than placebo,
in a randomized, double-blind study of 252 people with osteoarthritis of the knee. During
the four week trial, participants were given either 500 mg of glucosamine or placebo three
times daily. Researchers measured improvement using the Lequesne's Index (a standard scale
for measuring pain, maximum walking distance, and limitation of motion in daily
activities) and general assessment by the investigator. At the end of the study, index
scores had decreased by an average of 3.2 points in the glucosamine group, compared to
only 2.2 points in the placebo group. The overall response rate was 52% among those taking
glucosamine and 38% for placebo. Both treatments were well tolerated throughout the study
with no difference in the number of reported side effects [Noack, 1994].
Study #4
Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Glucosamine Sulfate vs. Ibuprofen
In a study of 40 people with osteoarthritis of the knee, Portuguese researchers found that
ibuprofen reduced pain more quickly during the first two weeks, but that glucosamine
offered more sustained, long-term benefits. During the eight week study, participants were
randomly assigned to take either 1.5 g of glucosamine or 1.2 g of ibuprofen daily in three
divided doses. Researchers measured the degree of articular pain on a zero to three rating
scale before the treatment and after one, two, four, and eight weeks. The rate of side
effects was 11% in the glucosamine group, compared to 25% in those taking ibuprofen.
Although the difference in side effects did not reach statistical significance in this
study, researchers believe that it may be more important in long-term treatment.
Researchers concluded that ibuprofen may be useful for managing pain during the first two
weeks of treatment, but that glucosamine is more appropriate for long-term treatment of
osteoarthritis [Vaz, 1982].
References:
DrovantiA, Bignamini AA, Rovati AL. Therapeutic activity of oral
glucosamine sulfate in osteoarthritis: a placebo-controlled double-blind investigation.
Clinical Therapeutics 1980; 3(4): 260-272.
Muller-Fassbender H, Bach GL, Haase W, et al. Glucosamine sulfate
compared to ibuprofen in osteoarthritis of the knee. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 1994; 2:
61-69.
Noack W, Fischer M, Forster KK, et al. Glucosamine sulfate in
osteoarthritis of the knee. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 1994; 2: 51-59.
Vaz AL. Double-blind clinical evaluation of the relative efficacy of
ibuprofen and glucosamine sulphate in the management of osteoarthritis of the knee in
out-patients. Current Medical Research and Opinion 1982; 8(3): 145-149.
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