Stick with glucosamine

If you’ve tried using a glucosamine supplement to relieve arthritis pain, don’t give up the ship if the results are not immediate.

That’s the conclusion from what may be the longest study of glucosamine to date.

For 12 weeks, researchers from the University of Western Australia monitored 50 volunteers who all had knee pain from cartilage damage or long-term wear and tear. Half the group took 2,000 milligrams of glucosamine daily, and the other half took a placebo. Almost 90 percent of the glucosamine group reported at least some amount of improvement after 12 weeks, compared to 17 percent taking the placebo.

More importantly, most of the improvements for those taking glucosamine appeared AFTER eight weeks. In other words, many subjects who had noticed no relief at all in the first two months, eventually began improving. And because the overall trend was toward improvement, the authors of the study surmised that continued use might provide steadily increasing relief.

The message here (and I would say that it applies to just about any type of supplement) is: don’t be discouraged if results are not immediate. Because even eight weeks may not be long enough to determine if a supplement will be effective for you.

So if you ever gave glucosamine a try and found it to be lacking, it’s possible that it didn’t have time to work.. Many HSI members have reported great success in controlling inflammation and restoring joint flexibility using a NorthStar Nutritionals glucosamine formulation called Flexanol. And, because they know that many supplements need a little extra time to work, NorthStar Nutritionals offers HSI members an exclusive 90-day guarantee to make sure you have the opportunity to get the full benefit. You can find more information (including detailed research results) at this site:

Over the years I’ve seen several studies reporting the failure of natural supplements in trials that lasted for as little as 6 weeks. I hope the research community is finally catching on to the fact that natural products can be very effective over the long-term, even if they aren’t designed to offer immediate relief.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute

Sources:
“The Effect of Glucosamine Supplementation on People Experiencing Regular Knee Pain” British Journal of Sports Medicine 2003:37, pp. 45-49, bjsm.bmjjournals.com
“Gradual Supplement Change” Family Health Matters e-letter