JOINT CARE SUPPLEMENTS

Glucosomine

What Is Glucosomine?

Glucosamine is an amino sugar compound produced by the body. It is common in the liver and kidneys, but most often found in cartilage. Glucosamine is effective in building new cartilage and aids the repair of damaged cartilage thereby cushioning joints, relieving pain, and reducing inflammation.

Glucosamine is extracted from the tissues of shellfish such as green lipped mussels, crab and lobster. Alternatively, it may be synthetically produced as glucosamine sulfates, which are often combined with chondroitin sulfates. These sulfates may not be as potent as extracted glucosamine.

The treatment effect is equivalent to that achieved through taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, or NSAIDS, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, but with fewer side effects than NSAIDS.

How Glucosomine Works

Healthy cartilage needs three things:

Water for lubrication and nourishment
Proteoglycans to attract and hold the water
Collagen to keep the proteoglycans in place

Proteoglycans threads itself through the collagen effectively hydrating, lubricating and nourishing the collagen. When cartilage is damaged, these threads weaken and the liquids escape.

As the collagen loses its nourishment, the proteoglycans lose their grip and float away. The effect is that the cartilage can no longer withstand shocks or cracks and may wear out completely.

Glucosamine works by:

acting as a stimulus to the cells that produce proteoglycans and is a key determinant in how many proteoglycans are produced by the cells
speeds up production of collagen
normalises cartilage metabolism

By helping to keep cartilage from breaking down, glucosamine can help the body repair damaged or eroded cartilage. So whilst glucosomine does not repair the cartilage directly, it strengthens the body's natural repair mechanisms. This reduces joint pain and inflammation.

Glucosomine Dosage

500 - 800 mg twice a day, morning and evening with food. Pills are preferable to the liquid; liquid glucosomine is better absorbed.

Best taken in combination with condroitin. Both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate [measured as total disaccharides] are bioavailable after oral dosing