Study Suggests Glucosamine and Chondroitin Benefits may go Beyond Joint Health

by | Apr 19, 2016 | 2015, Chondroitin, Glucosamine, Joint Health

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In this study of 18 men and women (25-50 years old), those who supplemented with 1500 mg of glucosamine hydrochloride and 1200 mg of chondroitin sulfate per day had a 23% lower C-reactive protein level compared to the control.

The use of glucosamine and chondroitin has gained attention for their benefits for joint health. A 2015 study (1) showed that 1,200 milligrams of chondroitin sulfate with 1,500 milligrams of glucosamine hydrochloride per day was comparable to the prescription medication Celebrex in helping reduce pain (43.6% pain reduction after 4 months compared to 50.7% in the Celebrex group, p = 0.02).

But glucosamine and chondroitin are showing promise with chronic diseases, including helping contribute to a 27–35% lower incidence of colorectal cancer (2), a 26–28% lower risk of death from lung cancer (2), a 17% lower overall risk of death (3), and a 13% lower risk of death from cancer (4). Now a new study (5) suggests these benefits may be due to glucosamine and chondroitin’s effect on inflammation levels.

The study involved 18 subjects (9 men, 9 women) between the ages of 20 and 55 with a body mass index between 25 and 32.5 kg/m2. They were given either glucosamine hydrochloride (1500 milligrams per day) plus chondroitin sulfate (1200 milligrams per day) or placebo for 28 days.

The researchers observed 23% lower C-reactive protein levels in the glucosamine/chondroitin group compared to the placebo group (0.90 versus 1.17 milligrams/liter, p = 0.048). Unfortunately, absolute decreases between the two groups could not be calculated as original C-reactive protein levels were not provided, only the original levels in males and females. In addition, the researchers noted a significant decrease (p = 2.6 x 10-16) in the activity of “several inflammatory-related pathways” including a pathway that creates inflammatory proteins called cytokines, which are a hallmark in many chronic diseases including cancer (6).

For the researchers, glucosamine and chondroitin “significantly reduced circulating C-reactive protein concentrations compared to placebo…cytokine activity and other inflammation-related pathways were significantly decreased” and that “Future studies in larger samples and other populations are needed to determine the potential utility of glucosamine and chondroitin as a possible anti-inflammatory agent.”

Source: Navarro SL, White E, Kantor ED, Zhang Y, Rho J, Song X, et al. (2015) Randomized Trial of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Supplementation on Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Plasma Proteomics Profiles in Healthy Humans. PLoS ONE 10(2): e0117534. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117534

Copyright: © 2015 Navarro et al. Creative Commons Attribution License

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted March 19, 2015.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com

References:

  1. Hochberg MC. Combined chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine for painful knee osteoarthritis: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, non-inferiority trial versus celecoxib. Ann Rheum Dis 2015 Jan 14. pii: annrheumdis-2014-206792. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-206792
  2. Satia JA, Littman A, Slatore CG, Galanko JA, White E. Associations of herbal and specialty supplements with lung and colorectal cancer risk in the VITamins and Lifestyle study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009; 18: 1419–1428
  3. Pocobelli G, Kristal AR, Patterson RE, Potter JD, Lampe JW, et al. Total mortality risk in relation to use of less-common dietary supplements. Am J Clin Nutr 2010; 91: 1791–1800
  4. Bell GA, Kantor ED, Lampe JW, Shen DD, White E (2012) Use of glucosamine and chondroitin in relation to mortality. Eur J Epidemiol 27: 593–603.
  5. Navarro SL. Randomized Trial of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Supplementation on Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Plasma Proteomics Profiles in Healthy Humans. PLoS One 2015 Feb 26;10(2):e0117534. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117534. eCollection 2015
  6. Coussens LM, Werb Z. Inflammation and cancer. Nature 2002;420: 860–867.