Healthy bone joints exhibit ease of movement, lack of swelling and flexibility. A mixture of compounds such as glucosamine and chondroitin promote strong joints in order for user to enjoy daily activities from exercise to hobbies to gardening.

Glucosamine sulfate is absorbed by the body and converted to glucosamine. Glucosamine plays an important role in the production and maintenance of cartilage. The body uses glucosamine to make special molecules called glycosaminoglycans, which are found in the cartilage an important component of joints. That smooth tissue, which is both rubbery and tough, lines and cushions the joint surface. The amount and condition of cartilage is directly related to the proper functioning of each joint.

Glucosamine sulfate is also a normal constituent of synovial fluid. That stringy, thick fluid acts like a lubricant between joints. At rest, the fluid is more like a thick paste. When a person begins moving, it becomes more like a fluid that protects joint health during periods of strenuous activity.

Sufficient coverage with cartilage is essential to joint health, and to ease and range of movement with no pain. With age, the amount of glucosamine created by the body decreases and the synovial fluid found in joint spaces become thinner and more watery. This causes the cartilage and the bones to scrape against each other, increasing the friction in joints. The tissues most affected are the weight-bearing joints, such as the knees and hips, as well as the joints in the hands. The degradation of bone joints can lead to a loss of range of movement, discomfort and such as walking. This breakdown in cartilage can lead to increased difficulty in physical activities and joint problems.

Pain relievers, including prescription drugs, are often used to treat joint-related discomfort. But the authors of clinical studies report that the glucosamine and chondroitin can help promote joint comfort. (1) The study found that among those individuals with moderate to severe discomfort, those taking a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin reported significant relief.

A six-month study of individuals found, those taking glucosamine sulfate like that in this reported greater relief from knee discomfort than those taking a placebo (sugar pill). (2) And a separate study of people who had taken glucosamine sulfate for at least 12 months and up to three years had significantly better joint health as those in the same studies that had taken a placebo. (3)

In one study, glucosamine acted more slowly in reducing discomfort in bone joints but provided longer-term relief. (4) And another study found glucosamine effective in treating discomfort. (5).

Chondroitin comes from natural sources such as shark cartilage. As such, chondroitin the only source is joint health supplements. Chondroitin helps to maintain bone-joint function by absorbing fluid into the connective tissue. As a building block for soft tissue such as cartilage, this compound is essential to joint health.
A study of patients with knee discomfort found that those taking 1,200 mg daily of chondroitin sulfate were more likely to report improvement in symptoms, including joint mobility, than those who took the placebo. (6)

SOURCES

(1)  National Institutes of Health. Questions and Answers: NIH Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial Primary Study. Created 2002, updated Oct. 2008.

(2) Gabriel Herrero-Beaumont, et al. Glucosamine Sulfate in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms. Arthritis & Rheumatism. Vol. 56, No. 2, Feb. 2007

(3) Bruyere O. Total joint replacement after glucosamine sulphate treatment in knee osteoarthritis: results of a mean 8-year observation of patients from two previous 3-year, randomised, placebo-controlled trials. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage (2008) 16, 254e260.

(4) NYU Langone Medical Center. Glucosamine. http://www.med.nyu.edu/patientcare/library/article.html?ChunkIID=21745, and http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/glucosamine-000306.htm.

(5)  Nowlan, C. Short Report: Ibuprofen versus glucosamine sulfate. Can Fam Physician 2003;49:1632-1634.

(6) Bourgeois P, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of chondroitin sulfate 1200 mg/day vs chondroitin sulfate 3 x 400 mg/day vs placebo. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage (1998) 6, (Supplement A), 25 30.