[at-l] More re Glucosamine/Chondroitin

[Clark Wright]

For what it is worth, here is the wisdom of my experiences/thoughts re these
substances:

 

1)  I am allergic to sulfa-based medicines/substances; most of the
GSM/Chondroitin supplements are sulfate based, thus there is a significant
group of folk out there (including me!) who cannot take them.

2)  One of the prior posts mentioned non-sulfated GSM, which is harder to
find, in my experience, but according to my local internist, it works just
as well.

3)  For those looking for a non-sulfate GSM supplement, the trick is to find
non-sulfated GSM that is not also paired with a sulfate based Chondroitin.
According to some sources, GSM hydrochloride actually works a LOT better
than the more common sulfate based versions, AND – this is a potential
biggie – since GSM does not stay in the bloddstream long, you need to either
take it 2-3 times a day, or find an extended release version.  [see second
link below]  Others argue the sulfate version is better absorbed in the
bloodstream, and thus is “better,” so who knows, at least not yet . . .

4)  I believe that there may be a difference between medically diagnosed
osteoarthritis and what I would label “weekend warrior” joint pain and
problems.  My guess is that if we tailor some future studies to focus on
whether GSM/Chondroitin therapies can help reduce further joint
deterioration and/or improve joint function in non-arthritic people who are
physically active, then we might well get some more positive answers.  I
believe there is a lot of (admittedly somewhat anecdotal) evidence out there
in both the animal/vet world and in humans that these supplements do help
with various (non-arthritic?) joint pain/ailments.

5)  Lastly, here are some links which show various, possibly contradictory
findings and opinions:

 

HYPERLINK
"http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/gait/qa.htm"http://nccam.nih.gov/rese
arch/results/gait/qa.htm  [NIH discussion of recent study – note findings of
a therapeutic effect for those experiencing more serious pain; note also
that the GSM was hydrochloride based, but was chondroitin was sulfate based]

 

HYPERLINK
"http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/949617884.html"http://healthlink.mcw.edu/
article/949617884.html [a bit dated - talks about the NIH study then being
started]

 

HYPERLINK
"http://www.endur.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=products.displayproduct&id=42"htt
p://www.endur.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=products.displayproduct&id=42 [favors
a non-sulfate, extended release version]

 

HYPERLINK
"http://www.jigsawhealth.com/products/glucosamine_chondroitin.html"http://ww
w.jigsawhealth.com/products/glucosamine_chondroitin.html [favors their
sulfate based version]

 

HYPERLINK
"http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/supplements/a/glucosamine.htm"http://orthop
edics.about.com/cs/supplements/a/glucosamine.htm  [older, even handed
discussion by a doc of studies then to-date]

 

The bottom line is that we still do not know a lot, but it still is fair to
say that even the newer, longer term NIH study supports a conclusion that
GSM/Chondroitin can help those with more significant joint pain . . .

 

 

Thru-Thinker

 

 


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