Eight Reasons Glucosamine and Chondroitin May Not Be For You…

1. Many people do not believe it ‘works’ for them. It can take awhile to build up enough for people to see a direct benefit from it. I believe it’s quite possible that some people give up before reaching that point.
2. The pills are very large and many may find them difficult to swallow – and you are often required to take large numbers of them every day. In all likelihood, those factors lead to non-compliance (not taking them).
3. Only a small fraction of the glucosamine you take is actually utilized by your body. In the case of pills and capsules, the studies demonstrate that only about 15-20% is absorbed.
4. Much of the glucosamine on the market is derived from shellfish, specifically crab, lobster, and shrimp shells – a common allergen. Obviously, you should avoid glucosamine if you’re allergic to shellfish.
5. The long-awaited NIH trials on glucosamine showed disappointing results. There were no significant differences between glucosamine alone, chondroitin alone, or the two combined, when tested against placebo.
6. While generally considered to be free of side effects, some people do experience gastro-intestinal upset from it. Chondroitin molecules are large, making it difficult for your body to digest, which could be what causes problems for some people.
7. It’s not clear, even after many studies, whether glucosamine affects blood sugar levels. In my opinion, people with diabetes or hypoglycemia should be cautious about taking glucosamine, and should carefully monitor their blood sugar levels if taking it.
8. Glucosamine, when taken in potassium salt form, can lead to an unnecessary salt burden, in my opinion.