A new research study has shown evidence to support that glucosamine sulfate supplements could be effective in treating osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that is extremely painful. Osteoarthritis affects various parts of the body such back, hips, knees and fingers. 4% of the population is affected by this condition and it is said that when all people reach age 70, that they are affected by it.
Glucosamine sulfate supplement is a man-made copy of the substance that is naturally made in the body. Glucosamine in the body is used to help develop and build cartilage for the joints. Studies conducted have indicated that glucosamine may stop the destruction of cartilage, this however has not been proven to be true in humans.
Glucosamine is an over the counter supplement and can be found in a wide range of drug stores, health food stores and online websites. It is mainly targeted for the treatment of arthritis.
The success of this supplement is seen by the number of people who take it. People take glucosamine and chondroitin to help with their arthritis pain on a much higher basis, compared to anti-inflammatory medications and painkillers.
There have been studies that were conducted in the past that showed that glucosamine could reduce the pain that is associated with arthritis. However, the newest studies have shown that this product could actually improve the overall structure of the joints. With evidence like this, there is more of a push to show that glucosamine supplements are a safe and effective treatment for arthritis.
The study that examined this thesis was conducted at the University of Liege, Belgium. The research study used 212 participants, all who had varying levels of arthritis in their knees. The particiapants were divided into two, where one half was given tablets of glucosamine sulfate. The other half were given placebo pills. This was done over a period of three years.
At the start of the study, researchers x-rayed the needs of the participants and this was conducted on the first year after the start of the treatment and also at the end of the study (3 years). This was done to see how the disease had progressed.
Results from the study were very impressive. The people who took glucosamine sulfate tablets, showed great improvements in their symptoms associated with arthritis. The participants who took the placebo actually saw their problem with arthritis worsen.
The final conclusion from this study shows that the use of glucosamine sulfate is an effective treatment when it comes to osteoarthritis.
Debate into how much glucosamine sulfate is enough to be effective surfaced. The researchers who conducted the study did indicate that the glucosamine supplements that are available on the consumer market might not have the same results as their study. This is mainly attributed to the different levels of glucosamine that was used in this particular study.