What Is Glucosamine?

Author : James Daltons 

As we get older our bodies will not operate in the same way. We will be unable to do the things that we used to and various types of health conditions will appear. With the use of modern medicine, we will be able to combat some of the potential problems that can develop with age. This article will look at one health supplement, glucosamine , which is vital for a healthy lifestyle in older people.

Glucosamine is a compound that occurs naturally in the body. It is comprised of the amino acid glutamine and glucose. The compound is needed to produce glycosaminoglycan which is an essential molecule that is needed for cartilage repair, formation and to help fix damaged tissues. Chondroitin sulfate is part of a large protein molecule (proteoglycan) that is responsible for giving cartilage elasticity. As people get older, the amount of glucosamine that they produce decreases.

The two are sold as health supplements and are very popular with people who have health conditions that are related to joints and bones. The two substances are created from different animal tissues. Glucosamine is derived from various shell fish and Chondroitin sulfate can be found in the cartilage of different animals.

As mentioned above the two substances are very popular in the health industry. Glucosamine is often used to treat the debilitating condition called osteoarthritis. The people who take this supplement often have cases of moderate and mild osteoarthritis. Users of the product often profess that they get relief from their symptoms and it has been shown that glucosamine may help to slow down cartilage damage from people who suffer from osteoarthritis.

There has been countless research that has been done to show that the use of glucosamine is safe. There have been no adverse side effects by people who use it, however some people tend to disagree and believe that it is not effective. It should be noted however that the product contains ingredients that is found in shellfish. People who have an allergic reaction to shellfish should be very careful when taking this supplement. There is a possibility that they could have a serious allergic reaction.

Another concern with people taking these vitamins is that there is a slight possibility that it can lead to the onset of diabetes. The reason for this is that it somehow interferes with the regulation of hexosamine biosynthesis pathway. This is a small possibility and there has been little evidence to support this claim.