Glucosamine has been studied for well over 40 years in humans1 and it has been used in prized thoroughbred horses, cats, dogs and even exotic animals. When it comes to safety, some clinical studies have reported more side effects in a sugar pilled placebo than with Glucosamine! Remember, Glucosamine is found naturally in the body and is a natural nutraceutical product. According to the Institute of Medicine and National Academies, “in Europe in approximately 1960, physicians introduced the use of glucosamine sulfate as an injectable therapeutic agent in the treatment of osteoarthritis2.” Hundreds of thousands of people have used Glucosamine, and many have found it extremely effective to not only effectively ease their arthritis pain but to also to provide them with far more than just long lasting pain relief. Glucosamine has been shown in clinical studies to regrow cartilage3, slow the progression of arthritis, and possibly even modify the disease itself with almost no side effects. The most common reaction when you have mild pain or a headache or the like is to turn to a bottle of your favorite over the counter medication, such as aspirin or ibuprofen. The New England Journal of Medicine reports that “anti-inflammatory drugs (prescription and over-the-counter, which include Advil®, Motrin®, Aleve®, Ordus®, Aspirin, and over 20 others) alone cause over 16,500 deaths and over 103,000 hospitalizations per year in the US”, according to a review article published in the New England Journal of Medicine4 Everything from stomach bleeding to intestinal damage to liver failure can result from the long term use and interactions with what are known as NSAIDS, or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. Fortunately, Glucosamine not only safely and effectively eases the pain of arthritis while working to do something that NSAIDS cannot do – rebuild cartilage. Don’t just treat the symptoms and cover up the pain, get more at the root of the problem and don’t neglect your body in an attempt to just cover the pain. In the U.S., baby boomers (who started turning 50 in 1996) are doing so at a rate of 300,000 per month5. Even if you have not reached 50 yet, it is important to take steps now to slow down the effects of arthritis. Arthritis has no cure and it will not get better on its own, but a daily regimen of Glucosamine can help to keep your joints strong and maintain your cartilage for years to come. Also, if you are taking or plan to begin taking Glucosamine for your arthritis, then you need to check the bottle. If you see (Glucosamine Sulfate * KCl) or (Glucosamine Sulfate * NaCl) or Glucosamine Sulfate as a Salt, then you should be aware that up to 30% or more6 of the Glucosamine is being bound up in salts. But the manufacturers can legally say that they are giving you whatever dosage is listed on the bottle but the active, bioavailabile amount of actual Glucosamine is going to be much smaller than the reported dosage because it has to be carried by the salts. Generally you will only find these deceptive (but unfortunately legal) practices in the very cheap glucosamine products, but you should be aware that you get what you pay for, and when it comes to important things like your body, one shouldn’t skimp. Your car can break down and you can fix it if you had to, but you only get one body.

At the right dosages (1,500 mg per day), glucosamine has been shown for decades to be effective at easing the pain of arthritis and joint pain as well as going further to help rebuild cartilage - something traditional NSAID pain relievers are unable to do. Indeed, the research is there, scores and scores of placebo controlled double blind studies report these same facts over and over. These studies used a standardized amount of glucosamine – something that not all manufacturers actually provide.

Because so few manufacturers actually line their products up against the competition, we have assembled a list of popular commercially available products out there to review and have included, for each product, the following items: (Read below for a full product review).

Product Name
Glucosamine Dosage Amount:	1,500 mg is the suggested dose
Price (Per Dose):	Should be between $.85 and $1.20 a dose
Price (Per Month):	Should be between $30 and $50 a month
Dosage Amount Supplied:	Should last a full month or more
Glucosamine Form:	Ideally contain both HCL and Sulfate
Ingredient Purity:	Should be Superior Quality
Physical Form:	Should be Liquid
Synergistic Factors:	As long as cost is reasonable, should contain as many as possible
Shipping Cost:	Ideally it should be free or under $3.50

As many of you have heard, there have been problems with several nutraceutical manufactures out there, for some of the less honest ones have been selling products that simply do not contain what they claim to contain. Many others use tricks like giving you 60 pills and then requiring you to take 4 a day, so you really think you are getting a 60 day supply when in reality you are only getting a 15 day supply. Many places wait to charge you shipping until after you have spent several minutes typing in all of your ordering information, thinking what is another 5 or 6 bucks once you have gotten that far. Fortunately there are good, honest companies out there. You just have to take the time to review the hundreds of generic and brand name glucosamine products out there. We have done the work for you and scientifically reviewed some of the more popular products below.

Rarely do products give you the cost per dose, instead relying on the above “smoke and mirrors” to give you a cheap overall price but requiring you to reorder twice as much, or they give you the much less effective KCl or the NaCl forms of glucosamine (only shown when you examine the ingredient list), so that as much as 30% or more of what you are buying is ordinary table salt, and more than likely less than effective glucosamine. Do not be fooled by these tricks! Demand that each product supply you with basic information such as the dosage, synergistic factors, monthly price and ingredient purity.

Liquids, aside from offering the obvious benefit of being easy to swallow, have another very important trait. According to the Physicians Desk Reference, liquid is absorbed at a 98% rate, versus only 10 – 20% in hard capsules or tablet forms. This very important distinction is extraordinarily important. It is not uncommon to have capsules pass right through the body in a way that the product name is still visible after the pill has left the body completely. This does not happen with liquids, as they are absorbed completely and are not wasted.

The National Advisory Board states that “100 mg consumed in tablet form translates to a minute stabilized 8.3 MG or 8.3% concentrated in the blood.” This is simply not the case with liquids!

Pills and capsules may cost less, but in reality you get far less absorption for your money. No wonder they cost less! Liquids are fast, you do not even have to wait for them to dissolve. They start working as soon as you swallow and many have fairly pleasant flavors. Liquids are especially easy to administer to pets - simply pour over their food.

Stores like to stock pills because they have a long shelf life (although liquid glucosamine is stable for years), are easier to handle and can sometimes cost a little less because they have cheap fillers and binding agents. People are used to drugs being in pill form, so it makes sense to them. Unfortunately, things like vitamins and minerals are not lab created artificial chemicals or drugs that are easily bound with fillers and buffers. No wonder they can be so hard to absorb! Pills, in some cases do give you some of the active ingredients, so people buy them, but when it comes to glucosamine, you know better than they do. Why go to all of the trouble to buy a product that will only give you half (or less) of the relief you deserve? Let's take a look at some of the leading brands.

Note on Glucosamine Creams

Glucosamine creams are not reviewed here. There is absolutely NO evidence that glucosamine can be absorbed through the skin, and most products that are topical are only going to have glucosamine in them to help sell the product. They *may* be of some limited targeted use on that one joint, but for about the same cost you can treat arthritis in your entire body and even in areas that would be impossible to target such as the spine or hip.

We suggest products that contain superior purity, high grade glucosamine sulfate and HCL. Provided the cost is about $30 to $40 a month, if you can find a quality product that contains more than just glucosamine, it is highly recommended to try that one first due to the synergistic combined effects of the ingredients. The most effective products are going to be liquid and have a multi-pronged approach to easing your arthritis pain and will contain some or all of the following complementary ingredients:

Complementary Ingredients

Chondroitin Sulfate

MSM

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Manganese Ascorbate

Boswellia (Boswellin) Serrata

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Vitamin E

Bromelaine

Yucca

Niacinamide

Aloe Vera Gel

Glucosamine is a dietary supplement that lacks the damaging side effects and long term toxicity of COX-2 inhibitors or NSAIDS such as ibuprofen or aspirin. Great, you say. What else do I need to know about it? Does it have any other side effects that I need to be aware of? So Just How Safe is Glucosamine? Glucosamine is overall a very safe substance. It has been studied clinically since the very early 80’s – so people have been taking it safely for over 20 years. There are only a few things you need to watch out for when taking Glucosamine. Shellfish Allergies Because most Glucosamine is derived from shellfish (a few manufacturers offer it derived from corn), you should consult your doctor prior to starting Glucosamine therapy. If the Glucosamine is pure but derived from shellfish, it is still possible that people who are allergic to shellfish can take Glucosamine. Because the allergic reaction is to proteins in shellfish and Glucosamine is derived from Chitin, a carbohydrate, it is generally ok to try Glucosamine under the guidance of a doctor because the processing that takes place to extract the Glucosamine destroys the proteins and the antigens that the body would normally react to. However, the official recommendation is that if you have an allergy to shellfish to avoid glucosamine. Diabetics Insulin levels with Glucosamine (HCL or Sulfate) can be subject to fluctuations, particularly in diabetics. Glucosamine is technically a carbohydrate (a sugar), but the body is not able to convert Glucosamine into Glucose. Hence, Glucosamine does not directly provide additional sources of Glucose. In diabetic patients, many factors can lead to changing blood levels and as a result it is very important to check with your doctor prior to initiating Glucosamine therapy and to be sure to be very careful about monitoring your blood sugar levels while on Glucosamine.   Pregnant / Lactating Women Pregnant women should avoid Glucosamine. There have not been enough long term studies on the fetus to clearly say that Glucosamine is 100% safe for the developing fetus. There is no evidence that it would be harmful but it would be best to be safe in a situation such as this. Overdose Extremely high levels of Glucosamine (many times the daily dose) can cause gastric fluctuations such as soft stools, diarrhea or nausea. Glucosamine does not have to be taken with meals but it would be convenient to mix with a drink when you take it if you so desired. Except for those above advisements, Glucosamine has a long track record of being very safe, unlike the NSAIDS or COX 2 drugs, which have a long and very well known (to scientists) history of being toxic you long term. Notice on the box of aspirin how it states that it is for the temporary (not ongoing) relief of arthritis pain. Not only are these foreign substances, (Glucosamine is natural and in your joints right now) even the later generation COX-2 inhibitors such as Vioxx® or have some rather nasty potential side effects. Plus, NSAIDS and COX-2 inhibitors do nothing but cover up the pain. If you stop taking NSAIDS or COX-2 inhibitors, the pain quickly comes back. Its still there, but your brain is numb to the pain due to the effects of the drugs. With Glucosamine, there is a residual effect. Even if you stop taking it, you will still be protected for a period of time. Although maintaining a daily dose is the best way for maximum pain relief and joint protection, Glucosamine will be decreasingly effective for short while after you stop its administration.

Glucosamine has been shown in clinical study after clinical study to be effective at relieving joint pain and repairing cartilage. It is also showing great promise for its ability to slow or even halt the effects of arthritis. These studies show that Glucosamine is a safe and effective natural supplement that is better for the body than NSAIDS such as ibuprofen and aspirin and best of all, glucosamine lacks the long term detrimental effects so common with NSAIDS. Glucosamine hits osteoarthritis with a big punch – and keeps it down for the count. But you already knew that. You just want to figure out how to find the best glucosamine product out there. Let's go over some important criteria. So You Want to Evaluate a Glucosamine Product? Not all glucosamine products are created equal. In order to best evaluate a product, you need to consider seven things. When your healthcare and pain relief is at stake, take a moment and consider these criteria: What form is the glucosamine in? What is the total daily dose? Are there any other ingredients? What type is the glucosamine? How pure are the ingredients? What is the total cost? How is the product administered? The form the glucosamine comes in is critical. There are three ways to get glucosamine into your system. Oral (e.g. Liquid), direct IV (into the vein) and intramuscular injection. Unless you really love daily needles, the oral option is going to be your best bet. Oral methods provide the best absorption and gives you the maximum dosage as compared to pills. Your choice of delivery method can mean all of the difference. If you want maximum absorption, the quickest effects and the best results, make sure the glucosamine product you are using is a liquid and not a pill. In addition, be especially aware of any kind of glucosamine cream based product. They are a waste of money, as there is no clinical evidence that glucosamine can even be absorbed through the skin. The dose size is the next important thing. Almost every clinical study used a full 1,500 mg of Glucosamine. It is true, liquid provides the best absorption, but do not sell yourself short with less than 1,500 mg a day, unless you like getting less than optimal relief. If you choose a liquid product (as you should) then the dose should be 1/4 fl oz per day. Other synergistic ingredients are important. Glucosamine alone will provide some pain relief, but look for products that contain other synergistic ingredients that work with the glucosamine to maximize your relief. While glucosamine is the “heavy hitter” when it comes to arthritis relief, ensure that you are getting as many “helper” ingredients as you possibly can, for a reasonable cost. Remember, shark cartilage is not chondroitin, make sure if you are looking for some additional chondroitin to make sure the product actually has chondroitin. Because science has not decided which type is the most effective (or if there is any difference at all), make sure you are getting both Glucosamine Sulfate and Glucosamine HCL to maximize your benefits from the two types. There may even be more benefits from getting both rather than risking getting the “wrong” type. Make sure you are getting high quality liquid glucosamine. Do not settle for anything less. If the manufacturer does not prominently state the purity of their glucosamine, go elsewhere and fast, especially if there is no brand name on the glucosamine. The cost is another important consideration. The best products are going to be in the $30 to $40 a month range but remember that is for a FULL 32 days. Be particularly weary of products that claim to be cheaper than this but DO NOT give you your full month. This is more true with pills, where you commonly can get 60 pills but need to take 4 a day to get the “labeled dose” of Glucosamine, which again is not even really the full amount you would get with a liquid. If you are paying more than $2 a dose (for a full 1,500 mg of Glucosamine and other synergistic ingredients), you are paying way too much. Some of the best liquid products cost about a dollar a day. The method of administration is important. You already know why, with glucosamine, pills are not a good option and why liquids are superior but with some products, liquids can be difficult to administer

Thank you for visiting the Glucosamine Research Center. Here you will be able to find current research on glucosamine, usage information, clinical abstracts, lay person interpretations, and even a search feature to effortless find the information you need. Below you will find links to actual cited peer reviewed clinical studies and an easy to understand interpretation of every one of the results.

Research into the leading commercial products available today. Each product is evaluated by type, method of delivery, quality, any additional ingredients and price.

This study collected 13 studies and reviewed them to see what Glucosamine's effect was on arthritis. Glucosamine was found to be much more effective than placebo and at least equivalent if not superior in the long term than Ibuprofen, without the deteriorating effects on the body that NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen have been shown to have on the body such as the digestive tract and other major organs. Different products vary in how much Glucosamine they contain but the average amount recommended was 1500 mg Glucosamine. The expected cost should be from $30-$45 a month for the product.

This clinical abstract (published in 1980! - Glucosamine has been studied in humans for well over 20 years) suggests that glucosamine should be considered the basic therapy of choice for primary (develops with age) or secondary (injury caused) arthrosis.

Glucosamine was found to be effectively able to diffuse into the body via oral (such as swallowed liquid) forms, IV (needles into veins), intramuscular (shots into the muscle). All forms allowed the glucosamine to be dispersed and absorbed into the body effectively and thus all three methods are effective routes of administration for Glucosamine. It can be safely said that oral routes (the kind that does not involve needles) are most likely the most popular method of administration.

Glucosamine was again tested for a period of three years against placebo in a placebo controlled double blind study, and the results were astoundingly in favor of Glucosamine. Placebo joint narrowing (How much "cushion" exists between the bones, more is better) was much more pronounced over Glucosamine, showing -.29 to .09 mm DETERIORATION with placebo versus a -.06 to .14 mm GROWTH with Glucosamine. Fewer patients with Glucosamine showed severe narrowings over placebo and the side effect profiles for both placebo and Glucosamine were the same.

Glucosamine was shown to be a structure (cartilage) regrowing drug. In rabbits, the lesions that simulated osteoarthritis were much smaller in the Glucosamine group and much larger in the group that received nothing (the control group).

A double blind clinical study that evaluated the effects of injected(!) Glucosamine verses placebo. Glucosamine reduced pain to a significantly greater degree than did placebo. The resulting joint flexibility was much higher with glucosamine therapy. Note: Glucosamine does *NOT* need to be injected to be effective. The liquid form will provide quick and effective absorption without daily needle sticks and the possibility of infections.

Given the detrimental effects of NSAIDs on joints and other organs, their use should be discouraged and their classification as a first choice conservative treatment should be abolished. A more appropriate treatment for arthritis would involve trying to keep the joints mobile through exercise and diet, and using glucosamine sulfate to aid in the pain reduction and regeneration of destroyed joints.

In clinical trials, Glucosamine was more effective than placebo in controlling the symptoms of osteoarthritis. It was also found to be more effective than Ibuprofen. In addition, a whopping 35% of Ibuprofen users reported adverse events (generally stomach related) with their treatment, versus only 6% of the Glucosamine group. (Remember, hundreds of thousands of people use Ibuprofen every year.)

The patients report of pain, stiffness, and the mobility, tenderness and swelling of the joint were measured during the trial. The patients who received the Glucosamine experienced twice as much (or more) pain reduction and this occurred twice as fast (or faster).

This was a study that reviewed other studies that have taken place on Glucosamine, Ibuprofen (a NSAID) and placebo. In every study, Glucosamine was shown to be always be more effective than placebo and be atleast as effective (if not more so) than Ibuprofen, which carries risks when it is used for long periods of time. Overall, Glucosamine has been shown to be an effective therapeutic nutraceutical for certain kinds and locations of arthritis with almost no side effects.

Both glucosamine and ibuprofen significantly reduced the symptoms of osteoarthritis with the trend of Glucosamine to be more effective. After 2 weeks of drug discontinuation there was a remnant therapeutic effect in both groups, with the trend to be more pronounced in the Glucosamine group. Glucosamine was significantly better tolerated than ibuprofen, as shown by the adverse drug reactions.

The therapeutic effects of Glucosamine with regard to the anti-inflammatory activities seems comparable or superior to that of the known non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin. Compared to the NSAIDS, Glucosamine's side effects on the stomach and digestive tract were virtually absent. Glucosamine also lacks the eroditive effects of long term NSAIDS use.

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