From The March 2001 Issue of Nutrition Science News

Glucosamine Sulfate for Joint Relief

by Anthony Almada

Most people with osteoarthritis (OA) know of glucosamine, an amino sugar similar to both the amino acid glutamine and the sugar glucose. Numerous short-term human studies (weeks to months) with glucosamine sulfate (GS) have been conducted in the past decade, with results showing pain relief in as few as two to four weeks, and of a magnitude equal to ibuprofen. However, until last year the long-term effects of GS remained anecdotal.

Two separate three-year studies involving once-daily supplementation of 1,500 mg of a specific brand of glucosamine sulfate, DONA, produced significant symptomatic relief and a reduced progression of knee OA.^1,2 Additional studies show six weeks of the same product and dosage offers relief for spinal OA, with effects persisting up to four weeks after stopping GS.³ Recent test-tube studies with human cartilage suggest glucosamine may operate in a manner similar to corticosteroid drugs such as prednisone.¹ What remains to be shown is whether other forms of glucosamine (HCl or N-acetyl) share the same joint-rejuvenating effects in humans as GS does.⁴

Anthony Almada is a nutritional and exercise biochemist and has collaborated on more than 50 university-based clinical trials. He is the co-founder of EAS and founder and chief scientific officer of IMAGINutrition.

References

1. Piperno M, et al. Glucosamine sulfate modulates dysregulated activities of human osteoarthritic chondrocytes in vitro. Osteoarthritis Cart 2000;8:207­12.

2. Foerster K, et al. Efficacy of glucosamine sulfate (Dona™) on symptoms of OA at different joint localizations. Arthritis Rheum 2000;42(Suppl):1613.

3. Fenton JI, et al. The effects of glucosamine derivatives on equine articular cartilage degradation in explant culture. Osteoarthritis Cart 2000;8:444­51.

4. Pavelka A, et al. Glucosamine sulfate decreases progression of knee osteoarthritis in a long-term, randomized, placebo-controlled, independent, confirmatory trial. Arthritis Rheum 2000;42(Suppl):1908.