If you are one of the 37 million people in this country who suffer from joint deterioration, I don’t have to tell you how debilitating it is. Fortunately, in just the last few years, emerging research confirms that nutrition may play a significant role in assisting the body to repair the damage to joints and cartilage. Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate along with specific antioxidant vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, have been shown to actually reverse the progression of joint and cartilage deterioration. And in addition to their effectiveness, all of these dietary supplements are safe and free of side effects.

As you can see on the right-hand side, I’ve given you my opinion on a few popular joint formulas from different manufacturers—including our powerful NSI ArthriPower ® formula. I urge you to read this brief article, and then compare your joint relief options for yourself.

Let’s discuss glucosamine—a natural compound normally formed in your body from glucose. Among other things, your body uses this nutrient to stimulate your chondrocyte cells to create one of the main building blocks of joint cartilage, proteoglycans.

As you age, the amount of glucosamine created by your body decreases. The result? Your cartilage and bones begin to scrape against each other, your joints become damaged, and the lubricating synovial fluids in your joint spaces become thin and watery.

To ensure effective absorption and tissue utilization, it’s highly recommended that one takes glucosamine in the sulfate form. This is the way glucosamine is found in the body, and it lacks any known toxicity. Chondroitin sulfate—a long chain of repeating sugars—provides additional benefits beyond glucosamine. It has a bristle-brush configuration that allows it to attract and hold large amounts of water to the cartilage-building proteoglycan molecules. And because cartilage has no blood supply, this fluid is necessary to nourish and lubricate your joints.

And that’s not all chondroitin sulfate does. During times of stress, the enzymatic breakdown of connective tissue can disrupt normal cartilage integrity and compromise joint function. Chondroitin sulfate interrupts this breakdown of normal articular cartilage.

Take a look at this study from the journal Annals of Pharmacotherapy just this past June. Researchers analyzed the available double-blinded, placebo-controlled studies using oral glucosamine sulfate in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. The qualifying studies had to have lasted at least one year. The result of this pooled data was the glucosamine sulfate was more effective than placebo in delaying structural progression in knee osteoarthritis. It appeared that disease progression was reduced by an amazing 54%, which was statistically significant to 0.0011. (Another way of understanding this statistic is that the likelihood of these results occurring by chance is only one in 1,000.) As expected, the glucosamine sulfate caused no more adverse effects than placebo.

In a study out of Alberta, Canada published in the Journal of Experimental Biological Medicine April 2005, rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis were fed chondroitin sulfate alone or glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. Inflammatory parameters were monitored, and it was found that glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate treatment prevented the development of cartilage damage within the arthritis.

Please keep in mind that the majority of glucosamine is derived from shellfish. Generally, it is the proteins in shellfish that cause allergic reactions; glucosamine is derived from chitin, a carbohydrate found in shellfish. Thus, you may be able to safely take glucosamine. However, check with your doctor before starting glucosamine supplementation.