Glucosamine

The Source

Glucosamine is a naturally-occurring amino sugar found in healthy joint tissue. It also occurs naturally in crustacean exoskeletons of shellfish such as crabs, oysters, lobsters and prawns. Glucosamine plays an important role in the production of cartilage and can help support tendons and ligaments. It’s known as ‘the cement of the connective tissues’ because our joints rely on it to maintain themselves. Glucosamine must be synthesized by the body but sadly, as we get older our bodies become less efficient at producing the nutrients we need to keep us active.

Glucosamine - common questions >>

The History

Glucosamine was first identified in 1876 by Dr. Georg Ledderhose, but was not fully defined until 1939 by the work of Walter Haworth. It was given as a supplement to prize thoroughbreds, cats, dogs, and even exotic animals, long before being considered as a supplement for humans. Extensive studies on the effects of Glucosamine in humans have been conducted for over forty years and it is now one of the most well established and widely used supplements world-wide. It is frequently used to help maintain the elasticity, strength and resilience of cartilage in joints.

Glucosamine - common questions >>

The Science

Glucosamine is a naturally-occurring amino sugar found in healthy joint tissue. It plays an important role in the production of cartilage and can help support tendons and ligaments. It’s known as ‘the cement of the connective tissues’ because our joints rely on it to maintain themselves. Sadly, as we get older our bodies become less efficient at producing the nutrients we need to keep us active.

Glucosamine works synergistically with chondroitin. Naturally-occurring chondroitin sulphate exists in the body in the form of chains of repeating sugars. It is known as the ‘liquid magnet’ because it stimulates the uptake of fluid and nutrients into the cartilage, which is vital for proper joint movement.

If your glucosamine is combined with chondroitin, check the purity and source of the chondroitin. We only want the best for you so we only ever use chondroitin from a marine source with a minimum purity of 90%. Some cheaper products may contain a lower grade of chondroitin. We know some people don’t like swallowing tablets, which is why our extensive range of glucosamine products is also available as drinks, gels and patches. After all, variety is the spice of life!

Glucosamine sulphate degrades when exposed to moisture. So what this means is it needs to be stabilised as ‘glucosamine sulphate 2KCl’. However, when you’re deciding which product to choose you need to know how much ‘glucosamine sulphate’ you're getting, so read the label VERY carefully. Just because it says 1000mg on the front doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting 1000mg of ‘glucosamine sulphate’. It might be 1000mg of glucosamine sulphate 2KCl in which case this would only give you 750mg of ‘glucosamine sulphate’.

“Do I need my calculator then?” We hear you cry! NO - we at Trust William understand how much glucosamine sulphate 2KCl you need to give you 500mg, 750mg, 1500mg of ‘glucosamine sulphate’ so have already done the calculations. What you see written on the front of pack is the amount of ‘glucosamine sulphate’ you’re getting (the number you’re interested in!) - no calculator required.

But so you understand what it would look like, here are the calculations for our Health Perception range – we use ‘glucosamine sulphate (2KCl):

• 665mg glucosamine sulphate 2KCL provides 500mg glucosamine sulphate
• 1000mg glucosamine sulphate 2KCl provides 750mg glucosamine sulphate
• 2000mg glucosamine sulphate 2KCl provides 1500mg glucosamine sulphate

If you prefer taking tablets, choose those which are blister packed. As we said before, pure glucosamine sulphate degrades rapidly when exposed to moisture. To overcome this, all of our tablets are blister packed to keep them fresh and prevent oxidation - which happens every time the tablets are exposed to the air. Oxidation can result in the active ingredients losing potency.

For further information on Glucosamine & Chondroitin please visit Love Your Joints:

Glucosamine - common questions >>