People with arthritis are faced with a huge range of products that may or may not help their symptoms. Some supplements may only help certain kinds of arthritis. The choice of products coupled with often conflicting stories in the press about their safety and their effectiveness, can make choosing a supplement daunting.
Here we take a look at four supplements that seem to have had more success in clinical trials than others.
Glucosamine
An amino sugar found naturally in the body's cartilage, glucosamine may help with joint repair. Several studies have shown that it may be moderately beneficial for the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis, particularly of the knee. Other studies suggest that it may be as effective as ibuprofen for pain relief, although the supplements needed to be taken for at least 2 weeks to have an effect.
Glucosamine supplements may be synthetic or include shellfish extracts. The recommended dosage is 750mg of glucosamine, taken twice a day. It is often combined with chondroitin. This combination appears to help some people with moderate to severe knee pain to osteoarthritis. Glucosamine has no serious side-effects. Avoid it if you have an intolerance or allergy to shellfish, or if you are diabetic.
More information: http://www.tcmadvisory.com/2007/5-2/20075218530.html
