Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are effective in the management of osteoarthritis

The use of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for thesymptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis has been a subject ofcontroversy for several reasons. First, the medical community ingeneral took offense at the title of Theodosakis’ book, TheArthritis Cure. Second, the medical community is becoming dividedinto “traditional” and “alternative”camps with deep skepticism between them. Third, the wholenutraceutical industry is essentially unregulated, withmanufacturers making outrageous claims on products that havenever been tested at all, are often of poor quality, andoccasionally lacking in any active ingredient. However, for thenutriceuticals evaluated here, there is abundant in vitro, invivo, animal clinical, and human clinical evidence of both theirefficacy and safety. They deserve a prominent place in thearmamentarium of nonsurgical treatment of osteoarthritis. ©2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.