Since they are substances we already consume and produce in very small quantities in our bodies, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates have no known significant side effects. Dr. Theodosakis states they may actually help your body repair damaged or eroded cartilage. In other words, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates strengthen your body's natural repair mechanisms. They can replace what your body fails to make. Glucosamine Sulfate Glucosamine stimulates the manufacture of collage, which is the protein portion of a fibrous substance that holds joints together.
Glucosamine helps bind water in the cartilage matrix.
It has also been shown to help produce more collagen and also normalizes cartilage metabolism, which helps to keep the cartilage from breaking down. It helps attract fluid into the proteoglycan molecules. Dr. Theodosakis states that chondroitin can protect existing cartilage from a premature breakdown. It does this by inhibiting certain enzymes that destroy cartilage and enzymes that prevent the transport of nutrients. Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate can work synergistically when taken together to stimulate cartilage production and to help control enzymes that destroy the cartilage.