How we rate
“Strong” = several concordant meta-analyses or systematic reviews. “Moderate” = one synthesis, or several controlled trials. “Limited” = early trials only. The rating is about the quality of the studies, not about how useful the supplement is.
Chondroitin
The other half of the joint care duo: almost always studied alongside glucosamine, rarely on its own.
Benefits
- Reduces pain and improves joint function in the short term (43 trials, nearly 9,000 participants)
- Slows down cartilage loss: less volume lost after 6 months at a dose of 800 mg per day, as measured by MRI
- It provides relief more slowly than an anti-inflammatory, but the effect lasts for up to 3 months after stopping treatment
- When combined with glucosamine, it was as effective as celecoxib over a 6-month period in 606 patients
Precautions
Mild digestive side effects may occur. Caution is advised in patients on anticoagulant therapy. It is also worth noting that the results of meta-analyses are inconsistent. Those that include only the most rigorous trials conclude that there is minimal or no benefit, and recommend against its routine use. The quality of commercially available products varies greatly, which partly explains these discrepancies.
Recommended dosage
800 to 1,200 mg per day, either on its own or in combination with 1,500 mg of glucosamine.
How to take it
- Dose: 800 to 1,200 mg per day, at once or divided (2 × 400 mg or 3 × 400 mg depending on the trials).
- Patience: the effect arrives slowly. Compared to an anti-inflammatory drug, chondroitin took longer to act, but its effect lasted up to 3 months after stopping. Positive analyses involve more than 120 days.
- On cartilage: the protective effect measured by X-ray is weak and requires 2 years of daily intake.
- With glucosamine: the combination did as well as celecoxib over 6 months in one trial, but other large trials do not find it better than placebo.
- What the largest trials say: the benefit on pain is minimal, or even nil.
What the studies say
This meta-analysis examined six studies (1,502 cases) to evaluate the structural efficacy of chondroitin sulfate (CS) and glucosamine on knee osteoarthritis. The analysis revealed that CS had a small but significant protective effect on minimum joint space narrowing after 2 years of treatment. These results suggest that glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate could delay the radiological progression of knee osteoarthritis after daily administration for more than 2 or 3 years.
Lee YH, Woo JH, Choi SJ, Ji JD, Song GG. — Rheumatology international (2010) — View the source study
For information only: not a substitute for medical advice. Dietary supplements are not a replacement for a varied, balanced diet. Learn more