The Consumers’ Foundation yesterday said people suffering from joint pain should avoid becoming over-reliant on the dietary supplement glucosamine, which studies have shown to be ineffective in curing osteoarthritis.
Supplements of glucosamine, which usually come in capsules or pills, typically claim to assuage sore joints and prevent cartilage degeneration, with some even claiming they can strengthen joints and bones.
Although the amino sugar is not -categorized as medicine and suppliers are therefore prohibited from advertising its supposed medicinal benefits, glucosamine products such as Move Free are very popular in Taiwan among people suffering from joint pain.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Citing medical research published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the watchdog said glucosamine was not a panacea for people suffering from osteoarthritis.
“Although Glucosamine has been shown to relieve pain from inflammation, it should only be taken when the person is in pain,” Sun Yat-sen Cancer Center vice president Hsieh Yen-yao (謝炎堯) said. “It does not cure [osteoarthritis].”
Hsieh said the study showed that a small group of participants with moderate to severe pain showed significant relief when using glucosamine, but that the dietary supplement was ineffective against minor pain or pain resulting from factors not related to inflammation.
“[Glucosamine] has not been demonstrated to prevent or cure any disease,” he said, adding that people with severe joint pain can take glucosamine to relieve the pain, but should immediately stop taking it when the symptoms disappear.
People with no joint pain should also refrain from taking the supplement and should disregard claims that it will protect the knees or make bones stronger, he said.
Other common misconceptions include claims that the supplement helps prevent osteoporosis, provides a source of calcium during menopause or enhances performance during sports or physical labor, none of which have scientific basis, the foundation said.
For people suffering from osteoarthritis, Hsieh said eating broccoli and avoiding activities that strain the joints, such as heavy lifting, climbing or descending stairs, were better remedies.
People who are overweight should also try to lose weight to relieve stress on the joints.
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