Glucosamine helps osteoarthritis/in double blind studies

Glucosamine
Glucosamine is found in fish, meat, and other foods. This amino acid compound is particularly helpful in treating Arthritis pain because it stimulates connective tissue, encouraging it to repair itself. Glucosamine is chondro-protective which means that it protects the chondrocytes that are found in large quantities in the joints.

Glucosamine is made in the body from glucose (sugar) and an amino acid called glutamine. Glucosamine serves as a building block of mucopolysaccharides (MPS) which are important for the development of cartilage, bone, ligaments, nails, hair, and skin. We can also get glucosamine from supplements.

As we get older or when we are injured, the body produces less glucosamine. This is surprising. One would think that the body would produce more glucosamine in order to repair the injury. Unfortunately, even small injuries that are not repaired can lead to greater damage and pain. Taking glucosamine gives the body the material it needs to help repair damaged cartilage. It often works best when taken with the fatty acids GLA, DHA, and EPA; chondroitin sulfate; manganese; and vitamins C and E.

Many studies have shown glucosamine to be a potent natural remedy for osteoarthritis that seems to affect so many of us as we age. It also opposes degeneration of the substance of the joints that occurs in arthritis. Several studies conducted at research centers in Europe have shown that supplemental glucosamine reduces joint pain, tenderness, and swelling, making joints that had been frozen with pain and inflammation usable again (Vajaradul 1981).

Glucosamine does not work as fast as some standard pain medications, but it does so without the serious side effects associated with drugs. In fact, many European physicians give glucosamine to their osteoarthritis patients as a first- line treatment, turning to drugs only in cases where the amino acid is not effective. Currently, over 5 million Americans take glucosamine or glucosamine and chondroitin combinations (Maher 2001).

Glucosamine appears to be even more effective in the form of glucosamine sulfate. Like glucosamine, sulfate is a component of joint cartilage. The sulfate also appears to strengthen the healing effects of glucosamine. Here are some of the studies on glucosamine sulfate.

A group of 20 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee was given either 500 mg of glucosamine sulfphate 3 times a day, or a placebo. Within 6-8 weeks, subjects receiving glucosamine sulfate experienced significant reductions in pain, joint tenderness, and swelling. There were no reported side effects (Pujalte et al. 1980).

A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was carried out with 202 patients for 3 years. Some were given glucosamine sulfphate, 1500 mg, once a day. The researchers wanted to see if long-term treatment with glucosamine could alter the progression of osteoarthritis in the knee. Based on the various tests that were carried out, there was a significant improvement of 20-25% in the glucosamine group. The authors concluded that long-term use with glucosamine slowed progression of the disease, possibly determining disease modification (Pavelka et al. 2002).

A group of 80 osteoarthritis patients experiencing pain, movement restriction, and swelling was given either glucosamine sulfate or a placebo: 73% of subjects receiving glucosamine sulfate experienced an improvement in symptoms within 3 weeks. What is more, when those who received glucosamine sulfate were biopsied and their cartilage was examined under an electron microscope, it looked much healthier than the cartilage taken from the placebo group (Drovanti et al. 1980).

Glucosamine sulfate was compared to ibuprofen in a double-blind study involving 40 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. As expected, the ibuprofen worked faster. But, by the eighth week, subjects taking glucosamine sulfate were doing better than subjects taking ibuprofen, with significantly fewer complaints (Lopes Vaz 1982). In two other studies, one with 200 patients and another with 178, similar results were noted. The researchers in one of the studies noted that glucosamine was more effective because it curbed the pathogenic mechanisms of osteoarthritis (Muller-Fassbender et al. 1994; Gui et al. 1998). If taking glucosamine sulfate, follow labelthe directions on the bottle. (This approach is explored in more detail in the Arthritis protocol.)


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Glucosamine
Glucosamine is found in fish, meat, and other foods. This amino acid compound is particularly helpful in treating Arthritis pain because it stimulates connective tissue, encouraging it to repair itself. Glucosamine is chondro-protective which means that it protects the chondrocytes that are found in large quantities in the joints.

Glucosamine is made in the body from glucose (sugar) and an amino acid called glutamine. Glucosamine serves as a building block of mucopolysaccharides (MPS) which are important for the development of cartilage, bone, ligaments, nails, hair, and skin. We can also get glucosamine from supplements.

As we get older or when we are injured, the body produces less glucosamine. This is surprising. One would think that the body would produce more glucosamine in order to repair the injury. Unfortunately, even small injuries that are not repaired can lead to greater damage and pain. Taking glucosamine gives the body the material it needs to help repair damaged cartilage. It often works best when taken with the fatty acids GLA, DHA, and EPA; chondroitin sulfate; manganese; and vitamins C and E.

Many studies have shown glucosamine to be a potent natural remedy for osteoarthritis that seems to affect so many of us as we age. It also opposes degeneration of the substance of the joints that occurs in arthritis. Several studies conducted at research centers in Europe have shown that supplemental glucosamine reduces joint pain, tenderness, and swelling, making joints that had been frozen with pain and inflammation usable again (Vajaradul 1981).

Glucosamine does not work as fast as some standard pain medications, but it does so without the serious side effects associated with drugs. In fact, many European physicians give glucosamine to their osteoarthritis patients as a first- line treatment, turning to drugs only in cases where the amino acid is not effective. Currently, over 5 million Americans take glucosamine or glucosamine and chondroitin combinations (Maher 2001).

Glucosamine appears to be even more effective in the form of glucosamine sulfate. Like glucosamine, sulfate is a component of joint cartilage. The sulfate also appears to strengthen the healing effects of glucosamine. Here are some of the studies on glucosamine sulfate.

A group of 20 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee was given either 500 mg of glucosamine sulfphate 3 times a day, or a placebo. Within 6-8 weeks, subjects receiving glucosamine sulfate experienced significant reductions in pain, joint tenderness, and swelling. There were no reported side effects (Pujalte et al. 1980).

A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was carried out with 202 patients for 3 years. Some were given glucosamine sulfphate, 1500 mg, once a day. The researchers wanted to see if long-term treatment with glucosamine could alter the progression of osteoarthritis in the knee. Based on the various tests that were carried out, there was a significant improvement of 20-25% in the glucosamine group. The authors concluded that long-term use with glucosamine slowed progression of the disease, possibly determining disease modification (Pavelka et al. 2002).

A group of 80 osteoarthritis patients experiencing pain, movement restriction, and swelling was given either glucosamine sulfate or a placebo: 73% of subjects receiving glucosamine sulfate experienced an improvement in symptoms within 3 weeks. What is more, when those who received glucosamine sulfate were biopsied and their cartilage was examined under an electron microscope, it looked much healthier than the cartilage taken from the placebo group (Drovanti et al. 1980).

Glucosamine sulfate was compared to ibuprofen in a double-blind study involving 40 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. As expected, the ibuprofen worked faster. But, by the eighth week, subjects taking glucosamine sulfate were doing better than subjects taking ibuprofen, with significantly fewer complaints (Lopes Vaz 1982). In two other studies, one with 200 patients and another with 178, similar results were noted. The researchers in one of the studies noted that glucosamine was more effective because it curbed the pathogenic mechanisms of osteoarthritis (Muller-Fassbender et al. 1994; Gui et al. 1998). If taking glucosamine sulfate, follow labelthe directions on the bottle. (This approach is explored in more detail in the Arthritis protocol.)

http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-086b.shtml