Glucosamine is a substance that can be found naturally in the human body and is one of the amino sugars that our bodies produce. It is believed that this particular substance plays a major role in helping repair the body as well as form new cartilage. Glucosamine can be purchased in supplemental form and can be included as part of ones dietary requirements. Certainly for many people who suffer from osteoarthritis this supplement is being used quite regularly for treatment. Although our own bodies do produce glucosamine there are not sufficient enough amounts to have a beneficial effect on our bodies. Yet more and more people are now discovering how beneficial this is in helping to prevent with the pain and injuries that many joint problems can cause. Below we take a look at some other facts about this particular supplement that you should know about if considering using it.
This substance was first identified by G Ledderhose in 1876, however it was not until 1939 that it was fully defined by Walter Haworth. Although it is made in the body naturally it can be obtained from other products, it helps to produce sugars that contain ample amounts of nitrogen essential to our body.
Today many people who suffer from osteoarthritis will take this particular supplement orally. It is believed that by taking Glucosamine the cartilage which becomes damaged over time can be repaired and rebuilt and so combat some of the effects felt when suffering from various forms of arthritis. However there is quite a lot of conflicting evidence which can not provide these people with substantive proof that this supplement is truly effective in helping to treat arthritic ailments.
On average a person who is using glucosamine in order to treat their osteoarthritis will take around 1500 mg each day normally in a salt formulation. But be wary when purchasing any kind of glucosamine that is available as either glucosamine sulfate (MonaVie includes glucosamine sulfate) or as glucosamine hydrochloride, you may also find that some of these supplements also contain chondroitin sulfate and methylfulonylmethane.
As you will soon discover when carrying out further research into glucosamine it has become an extremely popular alternative treatment for osteoarthritis. But as well as it being used by humans to treat joint problems it is also used by many veterinarians for treating animals as well. This particular substance works in both humans and animals by helping the body increase its production of glycosamine glycans (GAG) and these are essential to ensure that the structure of the cartilage in the body remains strong. In fact GAG is a very important nutrient that our bodies require and which helps with the growth of new cartilage.
Glucosamine is produced by extracting it from the shells of crabs, lobster or shrimps and is sold either as a dietary or nutritional supplement. The glucosamine is extracted from the chitin (found in the shell of the fish) and is a carbohydrate. People who have an allergic reaction to shellfish may find that they do not have any whatsoever when they use glucosamine as a supplement. This is because it is the protein in the flesh of the shellfish which causes them to have an allergic reaction. Although most of the glucosamine supplements we see today have been extracted from shellfish there are now alternative ways of this particular substance being produced. Some of the supplements you can purchase today have been made by extraction from corn after it has been fermented using fungi.
