Osteoarthritis
is bad business, and we'll all experience it to some degree, given
that we live long enough. Our bones are protected by a tissue
called a cartilage, sort of like a cushion that prevents bone
from rubbing on bone. But, unfortunately as we age through wear
and tear this cartilage wears away and that can be a painful experience.
Treatment
usually revolves around using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs. Those take away the pain but they can lead to gastric complications,
but now there may be another approach, a crustacean approach.
It turns out that the shells of crustaceans can be processed into
something called glucosamine. Glucosamine is the raw
material the body can use to make proteoglycans, the building
blocks of cartilage and also to manufacture hyaluronic acid
which is dissolved in the synovial fluid, the fluid in which joints
are bathed and which also provides a cushioning effect.
Indeed in
Europe 13 studies have shown that people who take dietary supplements
of glucosamine do better in terms of osteoarthritis. And
in fact recently a study right here at the University of Toronto
by Dr. Joseph Houpt showed that 49% of people who took glucosamine
improved in terms of their symptoms of osteoarthritis, although
40% of those taking a placebo also improved. So we're not looking
at a dramatic result but we also have to understand that the side
effects are basically non existent with glucosamine. The only
lingering concern is for diabetics and for people who are overweight
because glucosamine may somehow impair insulin function.
There's just
one more outstanding issue, and that is if you decide to take
glucosamine how do you know what you think you are taking really
is what you are taking - does the label match the product inside?
Unfortunately there are no guarantees here. Manufacturers do not
have to prove to any government agency that they really put into
the pill what they say that they put in. And surveys in stores
have shown that the label in fact does not always match the product.
But, you know what? Maybe I'm just being too crabby about that.
