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What You Need to Kno w About Glucosamine/Chondroitin by Ihor Magun, M.D., F.A.C.P. Glucosamine/chondroitin has become one of the most popular herbal agents purchased in the United States. Utilized for many years as a treatment option for osteoarthritis, it is characterized as "herbal medication" and has drawn much interest from the medical community here in the United States and elsewhere. Europeans routinely use herbal medications as a first line treatment for many conditions. The United States Food and Drug Ad ministration, however, does not monitor nor provide any recommendations for herbal medications, and unwary consumers often play "let the buyer beware" when they purchase and use such medications. Be cause they are related to health, it is good sense to know what they are and what they do (and, in some cases, don't do). Let's take a brief look at what glucosa mine/chondroitin is and what it does. Glucosamine is a molecule made of glucose and an amine and is produced naturally by the body. The pill form is de rived from crab shells. Glucosamine produces two proteins—collagen and proteoglycans. These help hold joints and tissues together. With aging, the normal production of glucosamine decreases. Chon- droitin is found in cartilage. The pill form is derived from cow, pig, and chicken cartilage. It maintains viscosity in the joints, prevents breakdown of carti lage, and stimulates repair mechanisms. Several studies have shown glucosa mine/chondroitin to be superior to placebo tests, safer than anti-inflammatory medications, and even comparable in clinical efficacy to traditional medi cations. Results of two recent clinical studies have shown that glucosamine not only relieved joint pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis, but protected against cartilage damage. A recent Canadian study, however, concluded that even if the medication was initially perceived to be helpful, there was no long term benefit. In an attempt to clear up some of the con troversy, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the Department of Veterans Affairs have sponsored the GAIT Study (Glucosamine Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial). The study began in April 2000 and will be competed in November 2005. It is aimed at deter mining the effectiveness of glucosamine/chondroitin as an independently used herbal medication or as a supplement used in combination with other treat ment. In any chronic disease such as osteoarthritis, all factors in the treatment should be taken into con sideration: cost, safety, side effects, and most impor tantly, efficacy. Since no studies to date have la beled glucosamine/chondroitin as an "unsafe" op tion, my recommendation (pending the official 2005 outcomes report) is to incorporate it into an all- encompassing regimen, which includes exercise, weight loss, pain control, and any other recommen dations made by your physician. 500 mg three times daily is the recommended dosage. A future article will provide an overview of GAIT Study findings. We would like to thank our authors for the wonderful articles that they contribute to Our Life. We also appreciate comments from our readers and hope that you write and share your opin ions about the materials that we publish. Please forward your articles to English language editor Tamara Stadnychenko c/o UNWLA headquarters. We ask that all contributors include a telephone number to allow us to acknowledge submissions and verify information. “НАШ Е ЖИТТЯ”, ТРАВЕНЬ 2005 19
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