Glucosamine and Chondroitin Don’t Work
Glucosamine and chondroitin are no better than placebo for knee or hip osteoarthritis, according to a study reported this week in the British Medical Journal. The two popular supplements are components of normal human connective tissues found in cartilage and bone.
A network meta-analysis by researchers at the University of Bern in Switzerland evaluated ten randomized controlled trials, which included a total of 3,803 patients with osteoarthritis (sometimes called degenerative joint disease) of the knee and hip. They concluded that neither glucosamine nor chondroitin, whether taken separately or in combination, improved pain or had an impact on narrowing of the joint space.
The study’s authors went on to say that there was “no harm in having patients continue taking these supplements as long as they perceived a benefit and cover the cost of treatment themselves”. Global sales of glucosamine approached $2 billion in 2008.