Nutraceuticals and nootropics for anti-aging

Glucosamine for arthritis — why is this still controversial?

It has now been more than 20 years since the first experiments with oral glucosamine supplements showed efficacy in treating osteoarthritis. Numerous clinical trials have been conducted, some with glucosamine sulfate monotherapy, others in combination with chondroitin sulfate. Most of these studies have concluded that glucosamine supplementation ameliorates the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Yet the medical community in the U.S. is still claiming that evidence is lacking. In recent months there have been reports published purporting to show that the conclusions reached in previous clinical trials were incorrect, and that these trials really showed that glucosamine is worthless for treating osteoarthritis.

What is going on here? Should we believe that all those studies showing the efficacy of glucosamine were done incompetently? Why should the recent re-analyses and re-interpretations, performed by people who had no involvement in the original studies, be considered more believable than the conclusions of the original researchers who performed the studies? Is it possible that the original studies were all carried out by unscrupulous lackeys of the supplement industry? Or were the re-analyses performed by unscrupulous lackeys of the medical establishment?

Countless sufferers of chronic knee pain have personally experimented with glucosamine supplements and found them unequivocally effective. I am one of them, and so are many of my friends. However, I have tried supplements that combine glucosamine and chondroitin, and also supplements consisting of glucosamine alone (which is much cheaper). For me at least, the chondroitin is essential — without it, the supplement does little to prevent my knee pain. So it doesn’t surprise me that some of the recent studies, which used glucosamine alone, have shown no benefit.

Another reason for the continuing controversy is nationalistic bias. There is a prevalent attitude in the U.S. medical community that research done in Europe and Asia is of low quality compared to that done in the U.S. For example, there is this quote from a 1998 review of glucosamine and osteoarthritis (OA):

“There is evidence that glucosamine sulfate may provide pain relief, reduce tenderness, and improve mobility in patients with OA. Most of the current data, however, are derived from the European and Asian literature and there are no studies supporting the use of this agent in the US.”

Links to pro-glucosamine review articles:

Chondromodulation in 2003: dream or reality?

Medical management of osteoarthritis of the knee and hip joints.

Structural and symptomatic efficacy of glucosamine and chondroitin in knee osteoarthritis: a comprehensive meta-analysis.

Links to con-glucosamine articles:

Glucosamine of little help in arthritis

Long-term benefit of glucosamine questioned in study

Nutripharmaceuticals for osteoarthritis.

Link to article with nationalistic bias:

Glucosamine sulfate for osteoarthritis.

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LifeLink carries Glucosamine & Chondroitin in 500:400 mg capsules.