Glucosamine is a naturally occurring substance made by the body that is used to maintain and repair the bones, joints and cartilage. Glucosamine sulfate is an easy to digest and highly absorbable compound used to supplement the body's natural supply of glucosamine. Glucosamine is available as a supplement in three different forms: glucosamine sulfate, glucosamine hydrochloride, and N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG). Although all three contain glucosamine, all three do not work in the same manner nor are they equally effective. Glucosamine sulfate (sometimes spelled as "glucosamine sulphate") contains sulfur, a necessary element for glycosaminoglycan synthesis.[1]

Chemically, the glucosamine structure is an amino-monosaccharide and a substrate of glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans. These are substrates of hyaluronic acid, a major component of joint fluid. Glucosamine is often taken alone or in combination with chondroitin sulfate.[2]

Glucosamine Sulfate has been used for over thirty years to treat arthritis. Random, double-blind studies, the gold-standard of pharmaceutical and medical scientific research, have been conducting on glucosamine dating from the early 1980s. These studies clearly demonstrate that oral glucosamine decreases pain and improves mobility in osteoarthritis, without side effects. Nevertheless, medical researchers and physicians in the US have generally ignored this rational and safe therapeutic strategy.[3] Fortunately, there are literally hundreds of stories of successful case histories from doctors and patients in the United States, Europe and other parts of the world who have benefited from using glucosamine liquid, glucosamine tablet and other forms of oral glucosamine.

Generally, glucosamine and chondroitin are often sold together as a supplement for joint health. Chondroitin is not as easily absorbed by the body as glucosamine. Only about 0-10% of a given dose of chondroitin is absorbed while over 90% (some estimates say as much as 98%) of a dose of glucosamine sulfate is absorbed and can be used in the body.

Products containing glucosamine are sold in Europe as standardized prescription drugs.[4] In the United States, these products are sold as dietary supplements. As such, no prescription is required. Glucosamine supplements may be purchased online, at pharmacies or elsewhere. As with any unregulated product, the consumer needs to buy from a supplier that provides consistent quality supported by research.

Several studies indicate that glucosamine sulfate is safe for long term use to treat osteoarthritis, a painful and potentially disabling disease of the joints. Research on postmenopausal women with knee osteoarthritis found that glucosamine sulfate can offset some of the effects age and the changes that occur in the body as women and men grow older.[5] Treatment with glucosamine has also shown promise for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, back pain, and other common complaints that often accompany the aging process.

Healthy people produce glucosamine naturally in the body. Because one of the ingredients of glucosamine is glucose, a naturally occurring sugar, glucosamine is classified as an amino sugar. However, glucosamine does not behave in the body as an energy source, the way that one might expect a sugar to behave. Instead, glucosamine serves to blend sulfur into the cartilage and other body tissues. Glucosamine is involved in constructing nails, skin, eyes, bones, ligaments, tendons, heart valves, discharging mucous from the respiratory system, digestive system, and urinary tract.[6]

Although the body does produce glucosamine on its own, it is also found in such foods as shellfish, such as lobster, crab, and shrimp, as well as animal connective tissues, such as the marrow of chicken bones. Marrow of Chicken Bones is not exactly a favorite mealtime menu item, so most people who want to add more glucosamine to their diet do so by taking a glucosamine supplement such as glucosamine sulfate.