A glucosamine study

It’s a common saying that death and taxes are inevitable. A third item from which no-one is likely to escape, not even the otherwise trim and healthy, is osteoarthritis, a potentially crippling disease affecting the joints and expressly associated with aging.

As the human body ages, its parts wear out: ligaments, tendons, joints, and bones. Moreover, the body’s connective tissue (cartilage) gradually loses its elastic nature and cushioning effect for these valuable parts, thereby causing stiffness, impaired mobility and, for many, excruciating pain.

Humankind has actively sought a cure for arthritis, or, at the very least, relief from its symptoms, probably as far back as the beginning of the human race.

Today’s scientists seeking cures for arthritis have, at one time or another, reviewed all known methods to discover whether any of these contain special ingredients for long-lasting relief. They include: the combined use of vitamins C, E, and A as nutritional supplements; bee venom; herbal treatments; magnets and metals (gold injections, for example, are an accepted form of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis); acupuncture; soybeans; avocado oils; and biofeedback techniques associated with meditation.

Further related to the area of nutritional supplements and certainly as a result of the public accolades which a supplement called glucosamine has received over the past twenty years, medical researchers are looking more closely than ever at its merits.

Here is some information about glucosamine which cannot be refuted:

1. Glucosamine has been used successfully as an arthritis treatment in Europe since the 1980's.

2. Glucosamine is not foreign to the human body. It is a natural substance which the body manufactures to keep the joints supple but which depletes or loses its effectiveness as we age. Its production mainly from shellfish closely approximates the “real thing.”

2. There are virtually no side effects such as those which are all too common (and often disastrous) with prescribed and over-the-counter arthritis medications.

3. Clinical studies have been positive, though these are generally viewed by medical authorities as not thorough or extensive enough to qualify for conclusive results.

4. There are strong indications, though largely anecdotal at this time, that glucosamine preparations (including those which contain another natural substance--chondroitin) not only relieve the symptoms of arthritis but actually halt and reverse normal deterioration, renegerating new cartilage in the process.

5. The current manufacture of glucosamine is not universally standardized. All of the countless natural food supplement companies claim the purity of their product, but higher approval (such as by the Food and Drug Administration) cannot be claimed nor could it be, since dietary supplements fall outside the FDA's mandate.

6. In spite of its popularity, medical authorities and arthritis societies do not recommend the use of glucosamine. Instead, they offer the choices of aspirin, acetominophen, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as heat and cold applications, exercise, and proper diet. Replacement surgery as a last resort (for example, hips, knees) is also an option.

7. Physicians who are aware of glucosamine’s healing and pain relieving capacities will likely say that its use will do no harm and just might be beneficial–in other words, it's the patient’s choice.

Yet there is evidence that the day may not be far off for glucosamine’s official acceptance. In October 2000, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced an upcoming $10 million project–a five-year study at thirteen U.S. medical centers to research its long-term effectiveness and that of its partner, chondroitin sulfate, for 1,500 arthritis sufferers. If this is the kind of study that will at last convince medical authorities of the value of this supplement, then the five-year wait will prove to be worthwhile.