Glucosamine, a natural sugar made form chitin from the shells of shellfish is also a key componenent of the extracellular matrix of cartilage. These sugars have charged side chains, which absorb water and provide lubrication and shock absorption for the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones in the joints. When people age or get arthritis, glucosamine and other sugars decline in concentration and lose some of their ability to absorb water. Eating glucosamine has shown to be taken up in the cartilage and to improve the pain from arthritis as effectively as ibuprofen in double-blind prospective trials.

However, glucosamine only came in large capsules that many people found difficult to swallow. Therefore, Dr. Stone and his team designed a new glucosamine beverage called Joint Juice. Joint Juice was launched this fall at stores in Marin County and a portion of the profits from sales of the beverage will be donated to The Stone Foundation.

New research planned for this year includes the study of glucosamine's role in repairing injured cartilage and preventing arthritic changes. This research will be performed in collaboration with the University of Arizona. The Foundation has written a grant to study the effects of glucosamine in arthritic knees and is awaiting funding. The questions to be answered are: Does glucosamine protect the joint from the development of arthritis in ACL-deficient knees? And does glucosamine improve the healing of traumatic cartilage lesions? If you are interested in supporting this research, please contact research@stoneclinic.com for more information.

Also See:

Glucosamine Index
Glucosamine Update
The Use of Glucosamine Sulfate in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis
Glucosamine Sulphate / Chondroitin Sulfate
Glucosamine Links