Do Glucosamine and/or Chondroitin Help Arthritis?

A new study is out, reports the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter (December 2008), that reports whether glucosamine or chondroitin helps slow or prevent the deterioration of joint-cushioning cartilage that is the hallmark of arthritis.

Two years ago, the newsletter reported that, overall, neither glucosamine nor chondroitin sulfate, alone or together, reduced pain or other symptoms significantly better than a placebo. The question remained: do they slow down cartilage deterioration?

The answer is no, according to what the newsletter calls a "large, expensive, well-designed study." The 357 subjects continued treatment of glucosamine, chondroitin, both together, Celebrex, or placebo for an additional 18 months beyond the first study. They then had x-rays to measure cartilage loss as determined by the distance between the ends of bones in the knee. The exams found only insignificant differences in cartilage loss between the groups.

Interestingly, glucosamine and chondroitin, when taken together, did worse. But nothing worked much better than the placebo.

So, the verdict is clear: if you suffer from arthritis, don't waste your money by taking these supplements.