Glucosamine And Diabetes

Author : Monica Nelson 

Diabetes mellitus or simply diabetes as it is commonly known is a chronic disease characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The pancreas, an organ behind the stomach, secretes insulin. Insulin regulates the amount of sugar in the blood that helps our body to store the sugar present in the food we eat. When the pancreas produce very little or no insulin or when the human body does not respond appropriately to the insulin produced, the level of sugar in the blood increases giving rise to a condition called diabetes mellitus.

Concerns were raised that administration of glucosamine to relieve people suffering from arthritis may cause a rise in the blood sugar levels. The reason being, glucosamine is ten times as powerful as regular glucose in causing insulin resistance. It can increase fasting blood sugar levels and exacerbate glucose tolerance. These effects are caused because glucosamine activates a metabolic pathway in our body called hexosamine pathway that leads to the relapse of insulin producing cells in the pancreas.

Researchers have found that this pathway causes proteins to be coated in sugar, preventing them from delivering insulin's signal to regulate glucose in the blood. Though glucosamine that is primarily a carbohydrate it cannot be broken down into glucose and provide an additional source of glucose, it can affect the secretion of insulin in people already suffering from diabetes. People with diabetes who need to take glucosamine to address their arthritis problem need to be more cautious. They must consult their physician before administering glucosamine and regularly monitor their blood sugar levels.

Many researches have been conducted around the world on glucosamine, but these effects have not been prominent. It has been found that only certain people may react to the effects. Further study is required to completely determine the effects of glucosamine on people suffering from diabetes mellitus.