Cartilage, Osteoporosis and Glucosamine

Glucosamine sulfate is a dietary supplement that is used for the treatment of osteoarthritis. The most common source of this supplement is from the shells of shellfish like lobsters, shrimps and crabs. They can also be hydrolyzed and fermented from other sources such as yeast, grains and other organisms. The substance can also be made synthetically inside a laboratory.

Since glucosamine is a precursor of glycosaminoglycans, which are major components of joint cartilages, it is believed to help prevent cartilage degeneration brought about by wear and tear (along with other reasons) and can also contribute to the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease characterized by a group of mechanical abnormalities that involve the degradation of the joints. It is the most common form of arthritis recorded, and is the leading cause of chronic disability here in the US of A. It can be caused by several reasons that lead to the gradual loss of the cartilage. And when the bone surfaces are exposed, they become damaged resulting to the appearance of signs and symptoms like pain, tenderness, stiffness, locking, effusion, regional muscle atrophy, and lax ligaments.

Since the cartilage plays a huge role in the pathophysiology of this disease, it deserves a fair length of discussion. The cartilage is a unique tissue predominantly composed of collagen and proteoglycans. From time to time, they undergo dynamic remodeling wherein minute degradation occurs during the process while certain activities are done to keep the balance in order to keep the volume of cartilage within accepted levels.

However, in the cartilage of a patient with osteoarthritis, the enzymes that produce degrading effects are over-expressed giving them the privilege to wreck havoc to the joints. As a result, the collagen and proteoglycans are lost from the matrix. As a defense mechanism of the body, the chondrocytes proliferate initially to synthesize increased amounts of proteoglycans and collagen. Unfortunately, as the disease progresses, the constant and repetitive attempts of the body to repair itself are exhausted leaving the degeneration unmatched and the debilitation inevitable unless treated.

Seeing as glucosamine sulfate is normally found in the human body and other organisms to help in the formation of chemicals responsible for the production of tendons, ligaments, cartilage and synovial fluids, it has been the subject of several clinical studies to prove this effect. That is why it has now become the most famous non-mineral and non-vitamin supplement in the market today-even outselling its other form, glucosamine hydrochloride.

This supplement is also available in forms which contain its common partner agent, chondroitin. With this combination, their effects are synergized to help each other out giving better results for the treatment of the disease. This is backed by several studies in relation to these substances and they (the clinical trials) show positive results for the glucosamine and chondroitin combo. However, larger and more thorough studies today are showing elaborate evidence that glucosamine produces no significant effects compared to the control groups that take placebo. That is why further researches are being done to put finality to the argument whether or not glucosamine sulfate, along with its chondroitin partner, is really effective.