| About 30 million Americans suffer
from osteoarthritis, an often painful condition in
which the cushioning cartilage between bones wears
away. Many people are trying new therapies and
dietary supplements such as glucosamine and
chondroitin sulfate in their search for relief.
Glucosamine is found naturally in the body. It stimulates the formation and repair of articular cartilage. Over-the-counter supplements come from animal sources. Chondroitin sulfate is another natural substance found in the body. It prevents other body enzymes from degrading the building blocks of joint cartilage. The type sold in health-food stores and pharmacies is derived from animal products. The hope and the hype People who use these nutritional supplements hope that they will relieve the pain of osteoarthritis, and perhaps even repair or restore the joint cartilage. Recent evidence seems to support the first claim. Both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate have been used in Europe for several years, with few reported side effects. Both supplements also have some anti-inflammatory effects that may account for the pain relief. But there is no proof that either substance, taken singly or in combination, will actually slow the degenerative process or restore cartilage in arthritic joints. All studies done to date have been short and focused on pain relief. A long-term study is just beginning, sponsored by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Dietary supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are not tested or analyzed by the Food and Drug Administration before they are sold to consumers. That means consumers can’t be sure they’re getting what they pay for when they purchase bottles labeled "Glucosamine/Chondroitin." In fact, a recent study by ConsumerLab.com showed that almost half of the glucosamine/ chondroitin supplements tested did not contain the labeled amounts of ingredients. Decision guidelines If you’re considering taking nutritional supplements to help your arthritis, you may want to follow these guidelines: 1. Talk to your doctor. Although many people believe that traditional physicians will dismiss their interest in supplements, many doctors are actually quite open to complementary treatments. However, these supplements are not appropriate for all forms of arthritis or for all people. Diabetics and pregnant women, for example, should be especially cautious. 2. Don’t stop your current regimen of diet, exercise, medication or other therapies. The effectiveness of these treatments is proven, and nutritional supplements should remain just that – complementary to your good health practices. You may need to take the supplements for a couple of months before you see any results, which makes it all that more important to continue your current treatments. 3. Do some research first. Find out about the supplement you are considering buying. Are there any side effects? Will it interact with your current medication? Write to the manufacturer and ask for documentation that supports their claims. For additional information on glucosamine, check the web site for the National Institute’s of Health (www.nih.gov). 4. Stick with a reputable manufacturer. Because these products are not regulated, consumers are on their own. Even products labeled "standardized" don’t meet outside standards, just internal ones set by the manufacturer. Standards can vary among manufacturers, so avoid brand names you don’t know. 5. If anything does go wrong and you experience some adverse side effects, report them to your doctor quickly and stop taking the product. Remember that any supplement potent enough to help is probably also strong enough to harm if taken inappropriately.
June 2001 Source: AAOS Research Committee fact sheet, Osteoarthritis
For More Information: |
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| Found Throughout Nature | ||
| Chondroitin Sulfate (J-Flex) is one of six related substances called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which are also referred to as mucopolysaccharides. GAGs occur widely throughout the animal kingdom — in vertebrates and invertebrates, terrestrial and marine organisms, and mammals and non-mammals. Six kinds of GAGs have been found in the tissues and fluids of vertebrates: chondroitin sulfates, keratin sulfates, dermatin sulfates, hyaluronic acid, heparin, and heparin sulfate. | ||
| Found in Connective Tissue | ||
| CS is widely found in the connective tissues of animals. It occurs in three slightly different forms: CSA, CSB, and CSC. CSA and CSC are found in nasal and tracheal cartilage, articular cartilage (joints), bones, sclera, leukocytes and blood platelets, skin, and umbilical cords. CSB has been found in skin, umbilical cords, and cardiac valves. | ||
| Vital for Joint Function | ||
| Adequate amounts of CS are vital for normal joint function and maintenance as well as many other self-healing mechanisms. The following list of activities have been proven in numerous scientific studies. | ||
|
1. Osteogenesis: CSA is an important
participant in bone calcification and CSC in
bone integrity maintenance (Paroli, 1991; Maurau,
1988).* 2. Anti-inflammatory effect (Paroli, 1991; Pipitone, 1991; Rashmir-Raven, 1992).* 3. Enzymatic inhibition: The capacity of CS to inhibit the action of destructive enzymes of the articular cartilage protects joints and helps maintain harmonic balance of healthy enzyme activity. This in turn helps avoid degradation of hyaluronic acid, a necessary molecule for the maintenance of hydration and viscosity of synovial fluid (Avila, 1976; Marossy, 1981; Pipitone, 1991; Videla Dorna et al., 1994).* 4. Analgesic and restorative effect: A very important property of CS is its ability to stimulate the chondrocite (cell that synthesizes the proteoglycans in the articular cartilage), which is conducive to the proper maintenance of the cartilage matrix (Serni, 1991; Vacha, 1994).* |
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