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.
What the studies say
Une vaste étude a évalué l'efficacité et la sécurité de la glucosamine et du sulfate de chondroïtine, seuls ou combinés, pour l'arthrose du genou chez 1583 patients. Dans l'ensemble, ces compléments n'ont pas réduit la douleur significativement mieux que le placebo. Cependant, une analyse exploratoire a suggéré que la combinaison de glucosamine et de chondroïtine pourrait être efficace pour les patients souffrant de douleurs modérées à sévères au genou. Les effets indésirables étaient légers et peu fréquents.
Clegg DO, Reda DJ, Harris CL, Klein MA, O'Dell JR, Hooper MM, Bradley JD, Bingham CO, Weisman MH, Jackson CG, Lane NE, Cush JJ, Moreland LW, Schumacher HR, Oddis CV, Wolfe F, Molitor JA, Yocum DE, Schnitzer TJ, Furst DE, Sawitzke AD, Shi H, Brandt KD, Moskowitz RW, Williams HJ. — The New England journal of medicine (2006) — 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