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Glucosamine

The connective tissue disk that acts as a cushion and eliminates friction in your joints. It also forms the hair, skin, nails, eyes, tendons, bones, ligaments and heart valves. As we age our ability to make glucosamine decreases and loss of glucosamine decreases the integrity of cartilage. in joints, that results in less support, cushioning and more friction, like wear-and-tear injury. Glucosamine also has anti-inflammatory properties, which help the joint to repair itself after injury.

Studies show that glucosamine supplementation improves joint function and decreases pain in individuals suffering from osteoarthritis. Glucosamine can decrease the destruction of cartilage that occurs when arthritis sufferers use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Natural health practitioners also recommend glucosamine for joint injury, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation, bursitis, tendonitis and skin problems.

Glucosamine can be found as encapsulated powder. It comes in two forms glucosamine sulfate and hydrochloride, both of which are effective. It is usually combined with chondroitin sulfate but can also be found with MSM and collagen. Glucosamine is found as a component of pain relieving and anti-inflammatory formulas.

Glucosamine has no toxicity associated with it. Glucosamine may cause stomach upset in some very sensitive individuals, but this is quite rare. Some glucosamine is sourced from shellfish and individuals with shellfish allergies should use caution when choosing a glucosamine supplement, otherwise for the general population the shellfish source is an excellent type to use. Glucosamine may need to be taken for three months before results are seen, but some may see results in the first couple of weeks.

Maintaining Joint Health with Glucosamine

When scientists first began studying glucosamine and chondroitin in the 1970s, they were amazed that no only did the subjects experience less pain, but also - and more importantly- their formerly degenerating cartilage had begun to repair itself. When they took a closer look at the way glucosamine and chondroitin were actually working to reduce pain and repair cartilage, they found that both of them were extremely important for normal joint health.

They found that glucosamine and chondroitin are both building blocks for the molecules that make up tendons, ligaments, bones, and synovial fluid.

They also supply a very important molecule called "proteo-glycans", a substance in joint cartilage. The problem they found was that with age, the ability to regenerate and restore joint structure begins to fail, often due to a decrease in the natural production of glucosamine sulfate in the body. This deficiency causes the production of new joint and connective tissue to slow, causing it to both weaken. The result is pain and stiffness.

A deficiency in either glucosamine or chondroitin may lead to osteoarthritis, which is a break down of joint structure that manifests itself as stiffness (especially after periods of rest), creaking and cracking joints, as well as pain.

In osteoarthritis, the cartilage that covers the surfaces of bones in the joints becomes damaged, which allows bone to rub directly against bone. The synovial fluid eventually becomes thinner, which reduces its ability to cushion impact. Glucosamine makes healthy synovial fluid thick and gelatinous. Without it, your ligaments and tendons would fray, and your cartilage would degenerate.

Though glucosamine may take several months to bring relief from pain, some may have results in as little as a month. In any case, the results are worth the wait. When studies show that recommendation arthritis drugs and anti-inflammatories can actually contribute to the further degeneration of connective tissue (and worse, such as Vioxx), glucosamine and chondroitin offer a safe and effective natural alternative.

Drug Treatments Can Actually Worsen Arthritis

Conventional treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories has been shown to worsen arthritis. Side effects of some drugs are gastrointestinal bleeding, stomach ulcers, heart attacks and liver problems. Some of these medications, especially the NSAID group can actually accelerate the degradation of joint tissue. Corticosteroids like cortisone and prednisone sometimes recommended for arthritis, while effective at relieving discomfort in the short term, can cause a loss of bone mass.