The Link Between Glucosamine and Diabetes

Glucosamine is a very effective supplement that is used to treat and alleviate pain associated with arthritis. People use it because it works and it helps them cope with the pain of their arthritis.

Even though it is very popular, there have been recent research studies that have shown that glucosamine may not be as effective for arthritis as everyone believes.

Glucosamine is a kind of sugar that the body produces and this is in turn sent to the connective tissue and cartilage of the body. Chondroitin sulfate is a complex carbohydrate that assists in the cartilage’s ability to retain water. Chondroitin sulfate is often combined with glucosamine supplements

Both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are often taken from animal tissue. Glucosamine is primarily extracted from the shells of crustaceans such as shrimp, crab and lobster. Chondroitin sulfate comes from animal cartilage like cartilage of the shark and tracheas.

One particular study was done to see why there was such a difference in the results of glucosamine trials as it relates to the effectiveness of the supplement. They wondered if there was some bias in the results in the studies that were mainly perpetrated by the supplement industry.

These studies try to look at the use of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate and to see if they were truly effective on arthritis. Despite the study’s taken place often times the results would come back inconclusive, so there was no way to know if glucosamine was truly effective against arthritis.

Even though the studies were done to show that glucosamine was not effective at treating arthritis, many people still believed in the supplement. People still continue to take it and others expressed tremendous benefits in the pain that they felt.

Doctors have stated that the glucosamine supplement is good for pain relief. This is especially for patients who do not have a positive reaction to ibuprofen or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Spring Valley Glucosamine Supplement

Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulphate are very effective when it comes to the treatment of joint pain associated with arthritis.  Glucosamine is found in high concentrations in the joints. It is widely believed that glucosamine is largely responsible for the development of cartilage that is needed for the repairs of joints. It is also good at reducing inflammation. Chondroitin sulfate allows for the entry of glucosamine into the joints as well stopping free radical enzymes that destroy collagen and joint cartilage in the body. There are many different studies that indicate the benefits of using glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate when it comes to helping control pain associated with arthritis.

Spring Valley Glucosamine Chondrotin is a very popular supplement that can be used to help treat pain associated with arthritis. The supplement is able to provide the two compounds glucosamine and chondroitin which will provide the body with essential nutrients that are needed by the joints of the body. These nutrients are able fix the cells of joints, while at the same time allowing them to be flexible and strong.

Spring Valley Glucosamine Chondroitin supplements have proven to be very effective when it comes to the management of joint pain. People who take it have stated that they have significant pain relief compared to before they took the supplement. There was also a significant reduction in the stiffness of the joints which was an added benefit.

Spring Valley Glucosamine Chondroitin Warnings

This supplement is to read from shellfish, so people who are allergic should be aware of this. An individual could have a very bad allergic reaction if they were to take this supplement.

Ingredients

Glucosamine Hydrochloride 1500mg and Chondroitin Sulfate 1200mg. It also contains Shellfish, Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Crayfish, Beet Juice, Vegetable Magnesium Stearate, Cellulose and Cropovidone.

The Serving Size is 2 Caplets.  The amount per serving is carbohydrate 2g, Sodium 110mg,  Dietary Fiber 0.5g and it is a total of 10 Calories

Glucosamine and Horses

Even though Glucosamine supplements are mainly used to treat arthritis in humans, many people have taken to using it in helping horses joints recover. Horses run and this intense activity is often done for hours upon a time over long distances. As a result of this, the joints of the horses can degrade and become inflamed. A condition called osteoarthritis can also develop. The cartilage of the horses legs can be degraded down to the point where the horses will experience severe pain due to the balls rubbing on each other.

It is widely known that once a horse reaches over the age of 15 they are more susceptible to arthritis. This is due to the fact that the cartilage begins to wear out much quickly at that age. It is also not replaced at the same rate and this adds to the problem. The horses that experience these problems will also have more instability due to the fact that their ligaments and tendons have become weakened and it lasted.

Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements are often used to treat heart set suffer from arthritis. It is a widely held theory that glucosamine is the key that is needed for the development of cartilage that help to repair joints. Glucosamine is extracted for the shells of crustaceans such as lobster, shrimp and crab. Chondrotin sulfate is known to help the glucosamine effectively reach the joints, as well as being able to stop certain enzymes that are responsible for cartilage breaking down.

There have been studies that have been done that show a direct correlation between the use of glucosamine supplements and improvement of horses that suffer from the painful joint condition arthritis.

The particular study looked at horses from varying ages that were diagnosed with arthritis. These horses were given supplements that contained glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate for a period of two months. After the two months were up the prices were examined. The results showed that the joints of these horses showed considerable improvement.

Glucosamine Supplements for Horses.

There are many different glucosamine supplements available for horses and it is up to you to decide which is the best for your animal.

Generally the glucosamine supplements often contain yucca and Omega-3 fatty acids that can be used for inflammation. Glucosamine is found naturally in the bodies of animals and is a natural precursor of glycosaminoglycans, which are found in the cartilage and connective tissue of all animals.

The supplements for purses contain 7500 mg glucosamine per ounce which is very palatable as it also does not contain fillers that are non-nutritional. Some of the supplements also contain yucca, heat-stabilized flax meal (a source of Omega-3 fatty acids), manganese methionine complex, copper amino acid complex, absorbic acid, and zinc methionine complex. These ingredients all come together to help the affected joints of the horse.

Glucosamine and Diabetes

Many people take glucosamine to help joints that have been affected by diabetes. Many people often want to know if taking glucosamine can make diabetes worse and increase blood glucose levels.

There haven’t been any scientific proof that shows a link between glucosamine and people with type II diabetes. There doesn’t seem to be a correlation between an increase in the blood sugar level been taking the supplement to treat arthritis pain.

There have been different studies done on glucosamine and they have all fallen all increase in blood glucose levels among the people who have type II diabetes who participated in the study.

Glucosamine and Type 2 Diabetes Study

A research study was conducted in 2003 at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas by Dr. Daren Scroggie. The purpose of the study was to examine the use of glucosamine and how it affected glucose levels, especially in people who have diabetes. The results from the study stated that the use of glucosamine supplements does not significantly affect glucose levels of people who suffered from type II diabetes. This largely debunked an earlier theory that glucosamine affected glucose levels based on animals that is that had been done. These studies showed a slight increase in glucose levels for the animals that were treated with glucosamine.

An explanation to this result was given by Dr. Daren Scroggie as it related to the trial study. He stated that typically in the animal was given a dosage of 3,000 to 435,000 milligrams per day, while the corresponding dosage for human is only around 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight for the person on a daily basis. This big difference showed that the effect of glucosamine on humans is negligible.

The results of this study were great news for people who took the glucosamine supplement and suffered from diabetes.

Glucosamine and Diabetes, Another View

There was always concern regarding the use of glucosamine to treat arthritis as many people believe that it’s caused an increase in blood sugar levels. The reason behind this is that glucosamine is said to be 10 times stronger than regular blood glucose in causing resistance to insulin. It can raise fasting blood sugar levels and worsen the body’s tolerance to glucose. These effects take place because a metabolic pathway that is found in our body called hexosamine is activated by the glucosamine. This particular pathway will cause a deterioration of cells that produce insulin inside the pancreas.

Researchers that have been studying this subject have found that the particular pathway allows proteins to be covered in sugar. When this occurs it stops the proteins from giving insulin the indicator to regulate the levels of glucose in the blood. Glucosamine can affect the emission of insulin in the body, even though it cannot be broken down into glucose.

People who take glucosamine to treat their arthritis and have diabetes should be extra cautious when taking this supplement. They should speak with their doctor before taking glucosamine and they should pool regular checks of their blood sugar levels.

There have been many research studies that have been done on glucosamine. The results are not conclusive and many have shown that only certain people will react to the product. There needs to be a more comprehensive study that is done to show the effects of glucosamine and people who suffer from diabetes.

Glucosamine and Insulin Resistance

Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate is a highly popular natural supplement that is used extensively for the treatment of arthritis. Despite some claims that glucosamine does nothing to help osteoarthritis, people still continue to take it. Despite all the good associated with this product, there is research that is indicating a link between glucosamine and insulin resistance.

The reason many people believe insulin resistance is possible is that it is believed that glucosamine can block the path that glucose uses when it is going to the cells. Despite this theory, there has been no real evidence on humans to suggest that glucosamine is responsible for the resistance to insulin.

A study conducted in the United States over a period of 6 weeks had volunteers taking standard doses of glucosamine sulphate. The results of this showed that the people who were overweight saw a decrease in the function of insulin and there was an increase in LDL cholesterol levels as well as triglycerides. It was also noted that the arteries started to become stiffer.

Another study that was done on rats showed the opposite. Two control groups of rats were give glucosamine over a period of 9 weeks. During this time the insulin levels were measured. The results after the study showed no significant difference between the two groups.

The result from the study on the rats concluded that glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate does not contribute to insulin resistance.

In the human study there needed to be more research done on a much wider scale for them to be sure that glucosamine was responsible for insulin resistance in the body.