This blog post will cover the health benefits of glucosamine, which is a naturally-occurring compound inside our bodies. It plays a critical role in making up cartilage tissue and multiple structural molecules inside our bodies. Accordingly, many people often decide to take glucosamine supplements to enjoy the health benefits of glucosamine.
People who take glucosamine supplements most often do so because they are experiencing joint pain or osteoarthritis. Glucosamine can help improve the function of cartilage, which helps prevent your bones from rubbing against each other when walking or performing exercises. Glucosamine supplements, in addition to vitamin D and calcium, can also improve your bone health.
Health Benefits of Glucosamine
Most people take glucosamine supplements to help with conditions such as osteoarthritis or to help improve their general bone health. Other complementary supplements can include turmeric, Vitamin D, and calcium to name a few. Luckily, it is possible to naturally include all of these in your diet without taking supplements. Glucosamine may also be useful because of its anti-inflammatory properties, although this is common among many types of nutraceutical products.
Bone and Joint Health
As you age, your bones disintegrate, and the risk of osteoporosis increases. Glucosamine supports the growth of bone fragments and ensures a robust skeletal frame. The supplement effectively slows down the progress of osteoporosis in menopausal women and senior citizens. These two groups have a higher risk of weaker bones as the minerals in their bones are diminished. A lot of physiological conditions increase as you age. Most times, different elements of the skeletal frame, like the bones and joints, slowly disintegrate. Nevertheless, glucosamine has a positive impact on osteoarthritis. The compound is necessary for cartilage formation within the joints. Glucosamine also slows down the breakdown of cartilage to guarantee the structural integrity of your bones. Moreover, the compound promotes collagen formation, constituting cartilage tissue and synovial fluid inside the joints.
Glucosamine supplements have been shown to help with osteoarthritis in some cases, although results from studies have been mixed.
Helps With Inflammation
Glucosamine sulfate readily reduces inflammation across different points in your body. Human trials indicated that the supplement reduced the systemic inflammation marker C-reactive protein. Most times, glucosamine sulfate is used alongside the anti-inflammatory drug chondroitin. Taking these supplements could positively impact different conditions that occur from the inflammation. Virto and animal models have both displayed that glucosamine can help with inflammation. Interstitial cystitis (IC) occurs as a result of an inflamed bladder. The condition is also associated with glycosaminoglycan deficiency. Glucosamine sulfate is usually converted into glycosaminoglycan. Furthermore, another condition that the supplement can fix is inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS).
Helps With Painful And Locking Jaws
TMJ Disorder is a disorder that affects your jaw bone. The standout effect is acute pain in this region and the inability to flex your jaw. A locked jaw prevents you from eating, drinking, and carrying out any function that needs you to move your jaws.
Researchers have discovered a positive relationship between glucosamine sulfate and improved jaw mobility. Furthermore, the supplement’s anti-inflammatory properties help manage pain in the jaws.
Who Needs Glucosamine?
Our bodies have enough glucosamine to support the growth and development of bones and joints. Nevertheless, this ability diminishes as we age. Post-menopausal women and older individuals are highly susceptible to osteoporosis and joint pain. Therefore, this group has the highest need for glucosamine supplements. There are no natural sources of glucosamine in food, with the exception of shellfish shells. Unlike other supplements, glucosamine can not be naturally added to your diet, so it is most likely inevitable that you will have to take supplements if you are older, struggling with bone or joint issues, and want to boost your glucosamine levels.
Potential Side Effects
Glucosamine bears very few adverse effects partly because the compound is also produced inside your body. Nevertheless, there are some risks that you might encounter, such as nausea, heartburn, diarrhea, and constipation.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women shouldn’t consume glucosamine supplements. There aren’t enough trials that ascertain the safety of this supplement when used by women in this group.
Furthermore, the compound bears a mild hypoglycemic effect. You are better off proceeding with caution or considering alternatives if you have diabetes, hypertension, or any cardiovascular condition.
A study in rats indicated that glucosamine sulfate had a positive effect on retinal inflammation. However, human trials show that glucosamine supplements might increase intraocular pressure, raising the risk of developing glaucoma.
The Takeaway
We cannot escape the effects of old age. Our bones and joints endure a lot of pressure as they are actively involved as we walk, run and jump. Naturally, cartilage tissues will slowly wear out.
Natural solutions such as nutraceutical products can sometimes play a role in managing various health issues. As we have discussed before, Vitamin D can help improve bone health, and turmeric can help with osteroarthritis in some cases. Three similar products to consider include Vitamin D, Omega 3, and turmeric.
Glucosamine sulfate can slow down the disintegration of cartilage tissue and alleviate joint pain. Additionally, researchers have shown that the compound positively affects various inflammatory conditions like IC and IBS. It is worthwhile to talk to your doctor if other natural health solutions can’t remedy any of these specific issues, as glucosamine supplements could play a role in improving your health.
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