So, is taking glucosamine for osteoarthritis dangerous?

Pierre Haddad, full professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Montreal, argues that glucosamine is safe at recommended doses and improves the quality of life for many people.

An opinion shared by pharmacist Michel Groleau. “I am people with diabetes who have been taking glucosamine for a long time and I do not see any effect on their blood sugar. “

Some explanations

According to Pierre Haddad, the test is of excellent quality, but it was carried out under artificial conditions: “These are mouse pancreatic cells in culture to which glucosamine hydrochloride has been added at doses of 5 to 10 times higher than human doses. He underlines the following points:

• glucosamine hydrochloride is not the form used predominantly by manufacturers (glucosamine sulfate is more common);
• the glucosamine came in direct contact with pancreatic cancer cells in massive doses. When this supplement is taken orally, very little glucosamine gets into the bloodstream intact and it stays there for a short time.

Pharmacist Michel Groleau adds that it is clear that the results of this test cannot be extrapolated to humans. “This kind of study impresses me all the less since, in my practice, I have never seen anyone exceed the recommended dose in this way. On the contrary, I rather see patients who take a lower dose. The pharmacist also mentions a 2006 study, funded by the National Institutes of Health in the United States, which shows that glucosamine has no effect on insulin resistance.².

Reached by PasseportSanté.net Thursday, the main researcher of this trial, Frédéric Picard, seemed to have changed his mind.

He said glucosamine is safe at the doses recommended by the manufacturers. “We used very high doses and in cultured rodent cells, so it is very far from the usual conditions observed in humans” specifies Frédéric Picard, associate professor at the Laval Hospital Research Center. A point that the researcher says he mentioned to the media, but which was not retained.

Françoise Ruby – PasseportSanté.net

1. Several media have reported on the researcher’s findings. To read or listen to the reports: www.cyberpresse.ca/vivre/santé; http://videos.lcn.canoe.ca; www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/sante. The press release was taken up by the newspaper of the communications department of Laval University: www.aufil.ulaval.ca. [Accessed October 28, 2010].

2. Lafontaine-Lacasse M, Doré G, Picard F, Hexosamines stimulate apoptosis by altering Sirt1 action and levelsin rodent pancreatic {beta}-cells, J Endocrinol. 2010 Oct 5.

3. Muniyappa R, Karne RJ et al.Oral glucosamine for 6 weeks at standard doses does not cause or worsen insulin resistance or endothelial dysfunction in lean or obese subjects. Diabetes. 2006 Nov; 55 (11): 3142-50. Full text: diabetes.diabetesjournals.org