Different Types of Glucosamine

I recently came across an interesting article which was published in the medical journal, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, in 2006 (Hopman et al). The authors of the study had noted that glucosamine use was increasing dramatically in Canada and they sought to find our which factors were associated with glucosamine use. The noted that glucosamine is often used by people that suffer from arthritis, back pain, or simply seek to maintain their joint health.

Not surprisingly, they found that glucosamine use was higher among the elderly. The incidence of arthritis increases dramatically with age. The also noted that glucosamine use was higher among people who take calcium supplements, engage in physical activity, and who have a prior history of glucosamine use. Many of these factors seem to fit the pattern of people who are taking proactive measures to maintain their joint health.


How many types of glucosamine are commonly taken by consumers?

There are three main types of glucosamine currently on the market:

1. Glucosamine Sulfate--This is the most researched type of glucosamine and has the largest amount of clicinical trial data supporting its efficacy.

2. Glucosamine Hydrocholoride--Many suppliers of this ingredient tout it as having a "lower molecular weight" and concluced that it is therefore "better absorbed" than glucosamine sulfate. However, in the largest study on glucosamine hydrochloride, which was independently funded by the NIH, glucosamine hydrochoride failed to show any benefits over placebo (Clegg et al, 2006). Many researchers have hypothesized that the sulfate moiety or component plays an important role in the activity of glucosamine.

3. N-acetyl glucosamine--there is sparse clinical trial data on this type of glucosamine and it is not commonly used by manufacturers.


In addition to the different types of glucosamine used in joint health product, there are also different grades of quality and different sources of glucosamine sulfate. Dietary supplements are also manufactured under different quality control regulations. For example, is your glucosamine supplement made in a GMP approved facility in the USA, or in a unregulated facility in China?

Arthroleve ULT(TM) is made with glucosamine sulfate and is manufactured in a GMP approved environment in the United States. http://www.arthroleve.com/.


References:

1. Hopman WM, Towheed TE, Gao Y, Berger C, Joseph L, Vik SA, Hanley DA, Carran J, Anastassiades T. Prevalence of and factors associated with glucosamine use in Canada. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2006 Dec;14(12):1288-93. Epub 2006 Jul 10

2. Clegg DO, Reda DJ, Harris CL, Klein MA, O'Dell JR, Hooper MM, Bradley JD, Bingham CO 3rd, Weisman MH, Jackson CG, Lane NE, Cush JJ, Moreland LW, Schumacher HR Jr, Oddis CV, Wolfe F, Molitor JA, Yocum DE, Schnitzer TJ, Furst DE, Sawitzke AD, Shi H, Brandt KD, Moskowitz RW, Williams HJ. Glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and the two in combination for painful knee osteoarthritis. N Engl J Med. 2006 Feb 23;354(8):795-808.