Glucosamine and MSM combine the nutritive benefits of two potent dietary supplements. Glucasmine is an amino sugar derived from the chitin of shellfish that is used by the body to support healthy joint structures. MSM is a natural form of organic sulfur found in all living organisms and is currently a popular supplement with health enthuasists everywhere.

Glucosamine is composed of glucose (a sugar) and Glucosamine (an amino acid). It is utilized by chondrocytes to formglycosaminoglycans (GSG) and proteoglycans (PG). Both of these constituents attract and bind water into cartilage, increasing resiliency. Research indicates that glucosamine may actually help your body repair damaged or eroded cartilage. A number of studies have been conducted on glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride, with a preponderance of positive results. Glucosamine sulfate is considered the more effective of the two. One study from the University of Liege in Liege, Belgium studied the effects of glucosamine sulfate on 212 patients with knee osteoarthritis. Participants took either 1500 mg glucosamine or a placebo once daily for three years. The study compared joint space width at enrollment, one year, and at the studies conclusion. The 106 patients on placebo had a progressive joint space narrowing, all participants taking glucosamine experienced no significant joint space loss, indicating glucosamine may beneficially modify cartilage structure. A study published in the Journal osteoarthritis and cartilage in 1998 investigated the in the trail of facts of glucosamine sulfate on proteoglycan and collagen production by chondrocytes taken from osteoarthritic articular cartilage. The results showed "a statistically significant stimulation of PG production by chondrocytes from the human osteoarthritic cartilage cultured for up to 12 days in three dimensional cultures." Another study from Italy enrolled 80 in patients with established OA. They received either 1500 mg of glucosamine sulfate or placebo daily for 30 days. The patients treated with glucosamine sulfate experienced in reduction and symptoms almost twice as large and twice as fast as those receiving placebo. Researchers also used electron microscopy of patients articular cartilage to support this hypothesis. Patients who received a close nine sulfate showed a picture more similar to healthy cartilage. The researchers concluded that glucosamine sulfate tends to rebuild damaged articular cartilage and restore articular function. MSM is an organic form of sulfur found in all living organisms. It is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body (10th most abundant in the known universe) and is found in every cell. Sulfur provides the chemical links needed to create collagen, which forms and holds the molecular structure of connective tissue. It forms the disulfide bonds in connective tissue that are links in the glycosaminoglycan chains that form cartilage. MSM is an essential nutrient, not only for connective tissue, but also for other tissues in the human body. Unfortunately, modern food processing methods greatly reduce natural MSM levels and foods, so very little is obtained from the diet these days, unless your diet is rich in unprocessed milk, vegetables and grains. Sulfur is abundant in chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid, to constituents that support healthy joint function.

As a dietary supplement, take 2 capsules daily with meals or on an empty stomach.