Pretty impressive considering its benefits in clinical trials remain controversial. So what's going on? Why do so many people swear by it? Glucosamine is certainly important in our bodies - it's one of the building blocks of cartilage, ligaments and tendons - all possible causes of pain in a creaky joint. The theory is, then, that supplying our bodies with more of this building block might give it what it needs to make repairs.
Since glucosamine is also one of the building blocks of chitin - the material that makes up the shells of crustaceans and shellfish - they are unfortunately for them a convenient source for the supplement industry vegetarian options come from mushrooms or processed grains. When it comes to the evidence that popping prawn pills can help our joints, though, things get fishy.
Usually the problem with supplement pills is lack of studies - there simply isn't enough funding available for large-scale independent trials. Not so with glucosamine. With such a massive global market, there's plenty of money being made by big companies - and that's problem number one.
Commercially funded trials of products are a well-known issue in medicine, and in the case of glucosamine studies it seems that those that are commercially funded turn out to be more likely to show a positive result than those done independently. Even putting aside industry-funded studies, though, there have been a lot of decent trials done on various forms of glucosamine compared with pretty much anything you might consider an alternative - painkillers, exercise, other drugs And yet, although one study might give a positive result for glucosamine one year, another gives a negative the next.
Every few years someone does a review of all the research published so far and these reviews also seem to alternate between "slight advantage glucosamine" and "no advantage glucosamine" in the tests against placebo. It's like a tennis match between two very closely-matched players. People with more severe pain experienced modest relief with the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin. If you're wondering whether glucosamine and chondroitin might work for you, the answer is "it depends.
If you find they ease your pain, it's reasonable to keep using them. If not, save your money. As always, if you choose to try these or any other vitamins, supplements, or alternative therapies, tell your doctor. For more on living with osteoarthritis and the latest treatments for this condition, buy Living Well with Osteoarthritis , a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.
Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE gift. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more. Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss Glucosamine sulfate might provide some pain relief for people with osteoarthritis.
The supplement appears to be safe and might be a helpful option for people who can't take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs. While study results are mixed, glucosamine sulfate might be worth a try. When taken in appropriate amounts, glucosamine sulfate appears to be safe. Oral use of glucosamine sulfate can cause:. Because glucosamine products might be derived from the shells of shellfish, there is concern that the supplement could cause an allergic reaction in people with shellfish allergies.
There's some concern that glucosamine might raise eye pressure. If you have glaucoma, talk to your doctor before taking glucosamine supplements. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health.
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