Should you take Glucosamine?
I received the following article in a newsletter from my good friend, Dr. Ali at http://www.peakchiropractic.ca/. It has some good information on Glucosamine and joint issues. For my joint pain I use Procosa®, one of USANA’s high grade products which contains a blend of glucosamine and many other joint-supporting nutrients for my bone cartilage. Thankfully after taking this for the last couple of years my knee joint pain is gone and I am even noticing the arthritic pain in my thumbs & toes seems to be non-existent!!
Most people don’t realize that after age 40 there is a decline in the body’s ability to make joint cartilage, which eventually leads to arthritic changes in our joints.
Joint cartilage acts as a shock absorbing pad at the ends of our bones. Throughout our lives our bodies continually manufacture glucosamine sulfate, an important component of joint cartilage. Research suggests that, as we age, our body slows down its production of glucosamine sulfate resulting in the erosion of joint cartilage, which eventually leads to osteoarthritis.
In the days of our parents, and/or our grandparents, we thought that arthritis was just an inevitable part of the aging process. However, in recent years researchers have discovered that the age-related decline in glucosamine production in the body is partly responsible for osteoarthritis of the hips, knees, low back, etc., which leads to pain and inflammation in 80% of us as the years tick by.
The good news is that research has also shown that by supplementing with glucosamine sulfate after age 40, you can provide your body with the glucosamine your body no longer produces for itself and literally slow the development of osteoarthritis. In the long run, you end up with a much more functional body and much better quality of life in your later years.
For this reason many anti-aging experts recommend including 500mg of glucosamine sulfate as part of an overall daily supplementation program, especially after the age of 40. Adults with osteoarthritis or cartilage injuries may get better results on a therapeutic level of 1500mg per day.