Glucosamine + Chondroitin

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Connected to · 2

contrast · 2

Joints · Cartilage & Tendon
Glucosamine and chondroitin generally do no harm, but do not expect them to repair cartilage, and do not put them ahead of exercise and weight loss, which are the core treatments for osteoarthritis with the strongest evidence.
Collagen peptides
These two joint supplements are often compared, but the trials of both stop at subjective symptoms, meaning pain and function scores: in the GAIT trial glucosamine did not beat placebo overall, and the collagen peptide trials are mostly small. Neither has been shown to rebuild cartilage.

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Building blocks of cartilage

EVIDENCERCT 1

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Glucosamine and chondroitin are the two supplements middle-aged and older people buy most often to protect their knees and ease joint pain. They really are raw materials of joint cartilage, but whether swallowing them gets anything to the knee is another matter.

Start with what they are inside a joint. Cartilage contains long-chain molecules called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which hold water like a sponge and give cartilage its springiness. Glucosamine is the basic building unit of those chains, and chondroitin (chondroitin sulfate) is a whole chain hung with sulfate groups. These chains wind together with proteins to form the base material that fills cartilage. Calling them cartilage's raw materials is correct.

But between being a raw material and reaching that piece of cartilage after you swallow it lies a whole supply line: first through the gut and the liver, then into the blood, and finally seeping into a tissue that has no blood vessels. Some is lost at every step, which is why, from the mechanism alone, this class of supplement is bound to have a small effect.

Educational content, not medical advice — consult a clinician.

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Glucosamine + Chondroitin

Story

Connected to · 2

contrast · 2

Joints · Cartilage & Tendon
Glucosamine and chondroitin generally do no harm, but do not expect them to repair cartilage, and do not put them ahead of exercise and weight loss, which are the core treatments for osteoarthritis with the strongest evidence.
Collagen peptides
These two joint supplements are often compared, but the trials of both stop at subjective symptoms, meaning pain and function scores: in the GAIT trial glucosamine did not beat placebo overall, and the collagen peptide trials are mostly small. Neither has been shown to rebuild cartilage.

Read full story

Stop 1/4

Building blocks of cartilage

EVIDENCERCT 1

READ THE ORIGINAL

Glucosamine and chondroitin are the two supplements middle-aged and older people buy most often to protect their knees and ease joint pain. They really are raw materials of joint cartilage, but whether swallowing them gets anything to the knee is another matter.

Start with what they are inside a joint. Cartilage contains long-chain molecules called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which hold water like a sponge and give cartilage its springiness. Glucosamine is the basic building unit of those chains, and chondroitin (chondroitin sulfate) is a whole chain hung with sulfate groups. These chains wind together with proteins to form the base material that fills cartilage. Calling them cartilage's raw materials is correct.

But between being a raw material and reaching that piece of cartilage after you swallow it lies a whole supply line: first through the gut and the liver, then into the blood, and finally seeping into a tissue that has no blood vessels. Some is lost at every step, which is why, from the mechanism alone, this class of supplement is bound to have a small effect.

Educational content, not medical advice — consult a clinician.