Arthritis and Glucosamine - Why it Might Not Help

Here's a little fact about glucosamine and arthritis that isn't always made clear.

There are many types of arthritis, but the main types are called Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis.

Although they both have similar names they are infact completely different. The pathologies are different.

The word 'arthritis' literally means 'joint inflammation' and does not describe a specific disease process. So it's no surprise that osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can be so different.

Glucosamine works by giving the body the nutrients it needs to rebuild cartilage.

Osteoarthritis is where cartilage has become worn away, so in this case you can see how glucosamine and other molecules will directly help.

However, rheumatoid arthritis is an immune disease process... something which glucosamine doesn't have anything to do with.

So if you have arthritis, make sure you know which sort you have before you start taking glucosamine!