Health Benefits of Glucosamine

According to an American Academy of Family Physicians report, glucosamine is one of the most popular dietary supplements sold in the United States. Used in several trials around the world, glucosamine is effective and free of any adverse effects.

Let’s get to understand glucosamine and its benefits better.

What Is Glucosamine?

Glucosamine is an amino sugar that is considered to be the main building block for glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins in the body. These are found in the connective tissues of the body including ligaments, synovial fluid, tendons, and cartilage. 

Glucosamine gives these tissues their buffering properties and allows them to be functional. It is naturally synthesized in the body from glutamine and glucose and converted into articular cartilage. 

Why Should You Consider Taking Glucosamine?

Given the recent popularity of this compound, you may wonder what is glucosamine good for? It has wide-ranging health benefits that help people live healthy and disease-free lives and that include:

- Reduces Joint Pain

According to studies, millions of people around the world live with chronic or episodic musculoskeletal pains, loss of joint mobility, and resulting disabilities. These are mainly the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

There is strong scientific evidence on the glucosamine benefits for joints. It is understood to exert pharmacological effects on osteoarthritic cartilage and chondrocytes. By inhibiting the cytokine intracellular signaling cascade, it reverses the joint degenerating effects of interleukin, the main trigger of joint inflammation. 

Being a natural compound, it works especially well for people who cannot tolerate NSAIDs. 

- Improves Bone Health

Osteoarthritis occurs as a result of age-related wear and tear of the cartilage in the joints. It is now known that aging also impacts the bone and the synovium, which cause additional joint movement problems.

According to this research, glucosamine benefits the human body by working as a chondroprotective agent that stabilizes, modifies, and retards the progression of osteoarthritis. It initiates the production of hyaluronic acid in synovium explants and prevents its degeneration. 

- Helps Treat Inflammation

The World Health Organization ranks diseases due to chronic inflammation as the greatest threat to human health. While inflammation is a part of the body’s defense mechanism, it may be triggered without any external threat. When this lasts for several months or years, it turns chronic and may lead to diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis & joint diseases, allergies, and COPD.

Long-term trials have proved that glucosamine inhibits nitric oxide synthase expression and reduces inflammation. By including glucosamine in the diet, people can prevent or delay the onset of arthritis and its debilitating symptoms.

- Helps People Live a Fuller Life

Arthritis and the ensuing joint pain affect not just the patient’s physical health, but also their mental health. Research says that the quality of life of people with arthritis is three times worse than those without it. It leads to reduced mobility & impaired physical functioning, lower levels of independence, and even depression.

Randomized clinical trials have proved that by offering relief from joint pain, glucosamine enhances the functional ability of people to participate in daily living activities. This has a significant impact on the quality of life and transforming people’s mental health.

Also Read- Chondroitin: A Supplement for Osteoarthritis

How Much Glucosamine Do You Need?

Now that the question ‘is glucosamine good for you?’ is answered, let’s know about its appropriate dosage. 

Usually, a daily intake of approximately 1,500 mg of glucosamine is advised. The only natural source of glucosamine is when your body produces it. There are no known food sources of this compound. Moreover, studies say that with age, the body’s ability to produce glucosamine may get impaired leading to joint pain and dysfunction. 

The best sources of glucosamine are its supplements, which are made of carefully extracted compounds from natural sources. These sources are derived from chitin, which is the exoskeleton of crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.

These supplements are also extremely effective because they are combined with nutrients that help in keeping the joints healthy. Some of the most valuable chondroprotective agents used in glucosamine supplements include chondroitin, turmeric & ginger extract, and selenium. 

Another advantage of glucosamine supplements is that they have better bioavailability. This means that they are absorbed better in the body and offer precise health benefits.

To gain all the vital benefits of glucosamine supplements, you must source only the best quality ones such as Physio Flex Pro (see also 'Physio Flex Pro - 3 Month Joint Recovery Course'). This USA-made formula is created only using lab-tested A-1 grade ingredients and is approved by cGMP, an FDA-registered facility.