Anyone taking glucosamine/chondroitin?

[Riprorin]

I started taking it because I'm running over 20 miles a week plus lifting weights and I'd like to ward off any joint problems. Plus at 43, I'm not getting any younger.

Since I don't currently have any joint problems, think I'm just wasting my money?

 

[morkinva]

I convinced Mom to take MSM like James Coburn recommended, and she says it makes her arthritis much better.

 

[Wag]

I have problems with my knees and it's the only thing that really helps.

 

[Ocuflox]

i been taking it for about 3 months now and have noticed a huge difference in neck pain and overall agility.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: Ocuflox
i been taking it for about 3 months now and have noticed a huge difference in neck pain and overall agility.

Perhaps I should bite the bullet and plunk down the $$ to get some then. It's a bit $$, eh?

 

[Busie23]

I have been on MSM for about two years now and still can't believe the difference it makes. I normally just take it a few times per week but if I'm doing a lot of extra activity I will load up on the stuff. I never used to be able to get up pain free in the morning but after taking about 2000-3000 mg at night I can wake up feeling brand new.

 

[Entity]

I don't know about you; I do notice that it helps for my knees (I'm only 23, but play sports that are high-impact (especially on the knees)), as well as my ankle.

Rob

 

[MaxDSP]

Originally posted by: Busie23
I have been on MSM for about two years now and still can't believe the difference it makes. I normally just take it a few times per week but if I'm doing a lot of extra activity I will load up on the stuff. I never used to be able to get up pain free in the morning but after taking about 2000-3000 mg at night I can wake up feeling brand new.

whats MSM?

 

[Miramonti]

I bought some but don't usually take it.

I give some to my dog every meal tho.

 

[Wag]

It's not too expensive anymore. You can get about 3mos worth at Priceclub for ~$20.

 

[vi edit]

The condroitin hasn't been provent to be as effective as glucosamine, so I just buy the basic glucosamine pills.

I injured my shoulder doing incline bench about four years ago. Every time after that I'd do any sort of workout that invovled my shoulders, that shoulder would crack and pop. It did this for three years after the injury. I took glucosamine for a solid year, every day, about 1000mg a day and I have very little, if any discomfort in the shoulder and no popping and cracking what so ever.

I also noticed that my feet, which cracked and popped quite harshly, stopped cracking so bad when I was taking the glucosamine.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: conjur

Originally posted by: Ocuflox
i been taking it for about 3 months now and have noticed a huge difference in neck pain and overall agility.

Perhaps I should bite the bullet and plunk down the $$ to get some then. It's a bit $$, eh?

Now the question is, which should be asked of all supplementation...

What natural food sources can supply you with Glucasomine and Chondroitin? If it's not found in food and the body makes it, what natural food sources can supply you with the building blocks of Glucasomine and Chondroitin, and what herbs will encourage the production of those compounds?

 

[Jeff7181]

Maybe eating cartiledge (sp?) from animals? lol

 

[vi edit]

What natural food sources can supply you with Glucasomine and Chondroitin? If it's not found in food and the body makes it, what natural food sources can supply you with the building blocks of Glucasomine and Chondroitin, and what herbs will encourage the production of those compounds?

My wife can provide a much better explanation (3rd year pharmacy student), but I'll half ass what I know about it -

Glucosamine is the building block of cartilage and connective tissue. Your body produces it, but not in large quanities. It's not something that you can gain from food sources IIRC. It's sort of like melatonin - produced by the body, but not found in foods.

There are no known interactions with glucosamine and OTC drugs, perscription drugs, or other supplements. It's basically harmless and has numerous studies showing that it is effective.

 

[Jeff7181]

On a serious note (unlike my previous post), you might try Coral Calcium. I know there's a lot of controversy over it now since there's been infomercials, and the doctor on that show is being called a lot of things, and people say he made claims that can't be proven... not to mention that the stuff he recommends is taken from the ocean, which he claims is no problem, but others claim it disturbs the habitat even though they're only taking the dead coral reef.
ANYWAY... I've been taking it for a year solid, and my knee is at about 95% I'd say, from a few years ago when two different doctors told me I'd need an artificial knee to function. I can walk, run, jump, roller blade, etc. ... my doctor didn't expect me to be able to roller blade or jump again... and said I probably wouldn't be able to "run at full stride" ... I'm not sure if it's the calcium that helped... or if it just needed 4 years to heal on it's own... but I injured it in fall of 99, was off crutches by the time I graduated high school in summer of 2000... was walking in pain from then until last spring when I started taking Coral Calcium... now I have no pain and can do everything I could do before the injury.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
On a serious note (unlike my previous post), you might try Coral Calcium. I know there's a lot of controversy over it now since there's been infomercials, and the doctor on that show is being called a lot of things, and people say he made claims that can't be proven... not to mention that the stuff he recommends is taken from the ocean, which he claims is no problem, but others claim it disturbs the habitat even though they're only taking the dead coral reef.
ANYWAY... I've been taking it for a year solid, and my knee is at about 95% I'd say, from a few years ago when two different doctors told me I'd need an artificial knee to function. I can walk, run, jump, roller blade, etc. ... my doctor didn't expect me to be able to roller blade or jump again... and said I probably wouldn't be able to "run at full stride" ... I'm not sure if it's the calcium that helped... or if it just needed 4 years to heal on it's own... but I injured it in fall of 99, was off crutches by the time I graduated high school in summer of 2000... was walking in pain from then until last spring when I started taking Coral Calcium... now I have no pain and can do everything I could do before the injury.

Did you try any other brand of calcium supplement?

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
On a serious note (unlike my previous post), you might try Coral Calcium. I know there's a lot of controversy over it now since there's been infomercials, and the doctor on that show is being called a lot of things, and people say he made claims that can't be proven... not to mention that the stuff he recommends is taken from the ocean, which he claims is no problem, but others claim it disturbs the habitat even though they're only taking the dead coral reef.
ANYWAY... I've been taking it for a year solid, and my knee is at about 95% I'd say, from a few years ago when two different doctors told me I'd need an artificial knee to function. I can walk, run, jump, roller blade, etc. ... my doctor didn't expect me to be able to roller blade or jump again... and said I probably wouldn't be able to "run at full stride" ... I'm not sure if it's the calcium that helped... or if it just needed 4 years to heal on it's own... but I injured it in fall of 99, was off crutches by the time I graduated high school in summer of 2000... was walking in pain from then until last spring when I started taking Coral Calcium... now I have no pain and can do everything I could do before the injury.

Coral calcium is good because it usually is still in powder/granule form in a capsule, and tends to contain 72 other minerals. Most artificial calcium supplements are just calcium carbonate which does nothing but constipate you. Calcium citrate is good but don't take the added D, too much D is bad for you and your body makes enough of it as it is.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

What natural food sources can supply you with Glucasomine and Chondroitin? If it's not found in food and the body makes it, what natural food sources can supply you with the building blocks of Glucasomine and Chondroitin, and what herbs will encourage the production of those compounds?

My wife can provide a much better explanation (3rd year pharmacy student), but I'll half ass what I know about it -

Glucosamine is the building block of cartilage and connective tissue. Your body produces it, but not in large quanities. It's not something that you can gain from food sources IIRC. It's sort of like melatonin - produced by the body, but not found in foods.

There are no known interactions with glucosamine and OTC drugs, perscription drugs, or other supplements. It's basically harmless and has numerous studies showing that it is effective.

So basically it can be found in foods, but not what we eat. Such as eating the grisel and cartilidge in meat. When the body digests glucosamine and chondroitin, does it break it down into simpler parts before being reabsorbed, or does it actually absorb intact?