Glucosamine is sugar protein that helps your body build cartilage (the hard connective tissue located mainly on the bones near your joints).
Glucosamine is a naturally occurring substance found in bones, bone marrow, shellfish and fungus.
Glucosamine has been used in alternative medicine as an aid to relieving joint pain, swelling, and stiffness caused by arthritis.
Research on glucosamine use for specific conditions shows:
- Osteoarthritis. Oral use of glucosamine sulfate might provide some pain relief for people with osteoarthritis of the knee. Some research shows that it may also help slow knee joint degeneration associated with osteoarthritis. More studies are needed to determine the benefits of glucosamine sulfate supplements for osteoarthritis of the hip, spine or hand.
- Rheumatoid arthritis. Early research suggests that oral use of glucosamine hydrochloride might reduce pain related to rheumatoid arthritis. However, researchers didn’t see an improvement in inflammation or the number of painful or swollen joints.