Its precise cause is unknown. But chronic use of these medications can cause serious gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers. It's little wonder so many patients are looking for gentler, less expensive ways to treat their pain. About Glucosamine Glucosamine occurs naturally in the body and encourages cartilage cells to produce glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans, two protein-sugar compounds thought to stimulate the growth, repair, and maintenance of cartilage. While claims that glucosamine supplements can treat, and perhaps even slow down, osteoarthritis seem reasonable, how the body metabolizes ingested glucosamine is unclear.
Researchers are unable to detect the supplement in the body once it's been taken.
Manufacturers generally recommend taking about 1,500 mg of glucosamine a day, although there is little science behind this dose. Numerous European and Asian trials suggest the supplement has promise. A 1998 review of nine of these studies concluded glucosamine was apparently safe and could offer moderate short-term osteoarthritis pain relief. In two of the trials, glucosamine was compared to ibuprofen. One found the supplement to be as effective, and another found it to be more effective, than the drug.