Are there any side effects of glucosamine and chondroitin?
Do glucosamine and chondroitin supplements cause any adverse reactions?
Is there anything unpleasant about taking this supplement?
I have been looking into these questions for the past 3 years or so. That's how long I've been taking glucosamine and chondroitin for my formerly-aching knees.
Recently I updated my research on the subject, and I am very glad to be able to say that expert studies are still finding no serious side effects from taking glucosamine and chondroitin.
Five of the larger studies and their results are:
1 - GAIT -The Glucosamine/Chondroitin sulfate Arthritis Intervention Trial, a $12.5 million National Institutes of Health study, found that adverse events were generally mild and evenly distributed among the glucosamine, chondroitin, glucosamine and chondroitin, placebo, and Celecoxib groups.For a summary of the GAIT report from the American College of Rheumatology (2005) click on: glucosamine chondroitin side effects
2 - The Osteoarthritis Research Society International (http://www.biocel.co.nz/downloads/pdfs/osteoandcartilage.pdf)studied one specific formula of glucosamine and chondroitin in the management of knee osteoarthritis.
What was found was that adverse events such as constipation, indigestion, gas, bad taste, and fatigue were equally reported by those receiving the placebo and by those receiving glucosamine and chondroitin.
They noted that the studied combination of glucosamine and chondroitin have no known serious side effects.3 - An American Diabetes Association study (http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/55/11/3142?etoc)
found that glucosamine, at typical doses, does not effect blood sugar control in those with diabetes.
4 - Published in 2003, an exhaustive systematic research (http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/163/13/1514) of clinical assessments of glucosamine and chondroitin, performed between 1980 and 2002, found that safety was excellent for both compounds.
5 - A 2003 study (http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/163/13/1587)
showed that FCHG49 glucosamine hcl does not effect blood sugar control in people with Type II Diabetes Mellitus.
In summary, among the people taking glucosamine and chondroitin in 5 scientific studies:
- No serious side effects occurred.
- No adverse reactions were found.
- Among participants with Diabetes, blood sugar control was not effected.
- Reports of any unpleasant effects were as likely to be reported by those receiving the placebo as by those actually receiving the glucosamine and chondroitin.
For a report on my experience with glucosamine and chondroitin, click here: http://www.expert-advice-by-buffalo-ny-specialists.com/cosaminds.html
Would you like to learn more about the CosaminDS brand of glucosamine and chondroitin supplement? Click here: http://www.expert-advice-by-buffalo-ny-specialists.com/cosaminds-glucosamine-chondroitin.html
Art Scrivner is a freelance writer who is especially passionate about health maintenance for the baby boom generation.
