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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Glucosamine, an amino sugar and natural compound found in cartilage, is often used as a dietary supplement. Now, an eye-catching new study from West Virginia University is reporting glucosamine supplements may actually reduce one’s risk of cardiovascular-related death — and death in general for that matter — just as much as a regular exercise routine. Considering how essential regular exercise is, these findings are sure to raise an eyebrow or two. “Does this mean that if you get off work at five o’clock one day, you should just skip the gym, take a glucosamine pill and go...

UCI study shows promise of metabolic therapy for autoimmune diseasesA glucosamine-like dietary supplement suppresses the damaging autoimmune response seen in multiple sclerosis, according to a UC Irvine study. UCI’s Dr. Michael Demetriou, Ani Grigorian and others found that oral N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), which is similar to but more effective than the widely available glucosamine, inhibited the growth and function of abnormal T-cells that in MS incorrectly direct the immune system to attack and break down central nervous system tissue that insulates nerves.

This release is available in French.Quebec City, October 27, 2010—High doses or prolonged use of glucosamine causes the death of pancreatic cells and could increase the risk of developing diabetes, according to a team of researchers at Université Laval's Faculty of Pharmacy. Details of this discovery were recently published on the website of the Journal of Endocrinology. In vitro tests conducted by Professor Frédéric Picard and his team revealed that glucosamine exposure causes a significant increase in mortality in insulin-producing pancreatic cells, a phenomenon tied to the development of diabetes. Cell death rate increases with glucosamine dose and exposure time....

New research suggests that glucosamine and chondroitin, two supplements regularly prescribed to help patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis manage joint pain, produce "no clinically relevant effect". The number of prescriptions issued for glucosamine and chondroitin has increased rapidly over the last ten years, with the treatments also available over the counter. However, studies on the efficacy of glucosamine and chondroitin have produced mixed results, prompting Professor Peter Juni and a team of researchers at the University of Bern in Switzerland to launch their own investigation. After looking at ten previously-published trials, Professor Juni and the team concluded that glucosamine...

Can a dietary supplement pick up the pieces? Glucosamine, often recommended for joint pain, is one of the most popular supplements on the market. And considering the health concerns recently associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, I thought it would be worth looking into whether glucosamine lives up to the hype.Background: Glucosamine and chondroitin are often combined together and used to treat osteoarthritis (OA), which occurs when the cartilage covering the end of the bone near the joint breaks down. OA affects the knees, backs, hips, hands and feet of more than 21 million people over age 45. And, according to...