INGREDIENT
Glucosamine
Glucosamine Sulfate
The Universal Builder
Glucosamine Sulphate is an amino sugar that contains the sulphur needed for cartilage synthesis. It is a natural component of all tissues including cartilage and joints. Usually, it comes from animal sources including shellfish/ crustaceans. Rarely does it come from vegan sources.
Though it is always thought of as a joint health supplement, the amino sugar has been documented to show benefits for many conditions including inflammatory/ autoimmune conditions, joint degenerative conditions and age-related/ inflammatory skin conditions.
Key Health Benefits
Osteoarthritis pain
Joint lubrication
Stops cartilage loss
Soft tissues repair
Anti-inflammatory For those with high activity Joint regeneration
Component of cartilage matrix
Need to rebuild and repair
Extensively studied
Used by veterinarians for feline cystitis
Part of Ayurvedic medicine High safety profile
Does not increase blood sugar significantly
Good for skin health
Increases the production of hyaluronic acid Anti-aging
Modulation of gut microbiota
Preserves mitochondria
The Ubiquatous Building Block
Many see glucosamine as a join-health support agent that is meant to cover for the wear and tear through joints and while that point of view is not exactly incorrect, there is much more to the story. Glucosamine is a ubiquitous building block that can be good for skin health, bone health and joint health. It is demonstrated to have a significant anti-inflammatory function and is great at maintaining tissue lubrication. Whether it is the stressed-out joints or the skin that is not responding to external moisturization, glucosamine is the ingredient to maintain internal moisturization and preserve tissues in a healthy enough condition for them to function optimally.
The Different Types of Glucosamine
Glucosamine supplements are very similar but maybe of slightly different functionality. Glucosamine comes in glucosamine sulphate, N-acetyl glucosamine and glucosamine hydrochloride preparation.
Evidence shows that glucosamine chloride is the type of glucosamine with the most research backing up its use as an osteoarthritis agent. It is demonstrated to slow down the degeneration of joints and may play a role in decreasing inflammation.
On the other hand, glucosamine hydrochloride appears to function more for pain management.
Finally, N-acetyl glucosamine plays a role in osteoarthritis, gut maintenance and probiotic balance.
Source
Glucosamine usually comes from shellfish. Rarely, come companies obtain glucosamine from corn-starch to offer a vegan option.
