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Glucosamine
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Glucosamine is a nutritional supplement that can stimulate specific components of your cartilage to thrive and reproduce. Glucosamine has been used for decades in Europe for the treatment of arthritis with favorable results. Glucosamine has ... been used for many years by veterinarians to treat arthritis in dogs, horses and other pets. It became popular in the United States for humans in the mid nineties after Jane Brody, a prominent New York Times Columnist, wrote about its benefits for her dog. The interest exploded after the book "The Arthritis Cure" by Jason Theodosakis hit the best seller list in 1997. Glucosamine comes from chitin that is the covering of shellfish or insects.
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Glucosamine supplements tend to be among the more expensive products on the shelf. A one-month supply of capsules can range from $15 to well over $100. Because they have to be consumed for 1-3 months before any noticeable benefit is apparent, you may need to invest a significant amount of money before you realize any benefits. However, because arthritis pain is one of the most debilitating conditions, most people dealing with such pain would gladly invest a dollar or so per day in a supplement that relieved their discomfort and helped repair their damaged cartilage tissue. For people with existing chronic joint pain, glucosamine supplements are probably worth the significant dollar investment for the benefits that they deliver. For those individuals with intermittent joint pain or those with more mild joint stiffness, the high cost associated with glucosamine supplements may not be justified - and the money might be better spent on other more relevant supplements.
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Glucosamine may have an effect on the biochemistry of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Many people with arthritis take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories to reduce inflammation and pain, as well as prevent excessive adhesions. However, NSAIDs accomplish these functions at a high cost. In addition to being very hard on the stomach, intestines, and, in some cases, liver and kidneys, NSAIDs ... inhibit the production of GAGs, which means that even though a patient may have a reduction in pain, their body's ability to heal itself is impaired. This explains why many patients with arthritis who take anti-inflammatories have symptomatic relief with they use them, but never seem to get better. In animal cartilage culture studies, glucosamine was able to partially reverse the effects some nonsteroidals have on inhibiting GAG and collagen synthesis.1
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Glucosamine is used extensively in Europe to promote flexible joints as numerous published studies document glucosamine's ability to function as a chondroprotective agent. Glucosamine provides the raw material needed support chondrocytes, the key structural components of cartilage. In nine European studies, the oral administration of glucosamine produced major benefits for joint stiffness, tenderness and swelling. Improvements in joint function and overall physical performance were noted in these studies compared to placebo. The studies ... show that glucosamine takes 4-10 weeks to produce noticeable results.
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Glucosamine was found to be effectively able to diffuse into the body via oral (such as swallowed liquid) forms, IV (needles into veins), intramuscular (shots into the muscle). All forms allowed the glucosamine to be dispersed and absorbed into the body effectively and ... all three methods are effective routes of administration for Glucosamine. It can be safely said that oral routes (the kind that does not involve needles) are most likely the most popular method of administration.
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Glucosamine is ... important for healthy skin. Adequate amounts of it in the blood are necessary for the production of hyaluronic acid, one of the substances essential to heal skin injuries. Therefore, glucosamine plays a major role in the healing of surgical incisions and skin wounds. In a few studies, participants who began taking supplemental glucosamine before surgery and continued taking it until their incisions were completely healed showed generally faster healing with less scarring than other participants who did not take glucosamine. Wound dressings that contain a modified type of glucosamine known as poly-N-acetyl glucosamine are being studied to stop major bleeding. In other research, a few studies evaluating whether supplemental glucosamine helps to prevent or reverse wrinkling have had mixed results.
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Glucosamine