If you have osteoarthritis, you’ve heard the advice to lose weight and exercise. You’re also digging into the world of supplements, to see what are some non-pharmaceutical ways to decrease your joint pain. Two of the most common supplements you’ve come across are glucosamine and turmeric, so here we are.
Original source: here.
However, unlike almost every other web page writing about them, this one is different – I don’t sell supplements. I make my money in a different way. How do I do it? I guess we should get better acquainted.
Hiya! My name is Igor.
I’m the author of the Amazon bestselling book, The Natural Approach to Osteoarthritis. As well, I run an online personal training company that specializes in osteoarthritis. So those are the 2 ways in which I make money. I don’t make any money on supplements – which frees me up to be objective about what really works, and what doesn’t.
Here’s what you can expect to learn in this article:
- What are glucosamine and turmeric?
- How effective are they?
- Which is better?
- Side effects
- Two alternatives to glucosamine and turmeric.
What are Glucosamine and Turmeric?
Glucosamine is a sugar molecule (don’t worry, it’s safe for diabetics), found in the fluid around your joints. It helps build and maintain cartilage.
Turmeric is a spice – it doesn’t come as a supplement. Rather, any given food is made up of a bunch of different natural chemicals. For example, coffee is not just caffeine – it’s also a bunch of other things. The same is true for turmeric. The “active ingredient” in turmeric, that’s thought to have the anti-inflammatory effects is called “curcumin.” I make that distinction because not everything that works as a food is effective as a supplement. Likewise, not everything that’s effective as a supplement is effective as a food.
How Effective are Glucosamine and Turmeric?
It’s logical to take both glucosamine and turmeric/curcumin. After all, if glucosamine is found in our own cartilage, and it helps build and maintain it, why not take it orally? The same is true for turmeric/curcumin. The logic goes “osteoarthritis” is an inflammatory condition. So we need to reduce inflammation. Turmeric/curcumin are anti-inflammatory.
Yes, it’s logical, but that’s where I love research – it distinguishes between theory and practice. Just because it makes sense in our minds doesn’t mean they actually work. Let’s see what the research has to say.
One meta-analysis showed that glucosamine supplementation reduced only stiffness but not pain.
Another meta-analysis showed a very small difference between glucosamine and placebo. You might be thinking “a small difference – that’s better than nothing.” Not really. Pain is subjective. Nobody can verify that you’re in pain. A very small difference is only noticeable in a large population. When you ask a lot of people if their pain went down and a few of them say “yes.” On an individual basis, the effect won’t be noticeable.
Curcumin has become a darling in the world of supplements after about 2010, because it’s an anti-inflammatory. But do its anti-inflammatory properties translate to reducing joint pain in people with osteoarthritis?
Unlike glucosamine, I really debated whether to consider it ineffective or effective, because it’s straddling the border.
In one meta-analysis, curcumin supplementation reduced joint pain by about 16% more than placebo. This was over a 12-week period. Supplement durations of under 12 weeks don’t show great results.
So why do I think that it’s straddling the border of effective and ineffective? Because in a single person, a pain reduction of 10% is not very noticeable. A pain reduction of 20% is mildly noticeable. I thought that a 16% pain reduction was too low to call it effective, so I labelled it “ineffective.”
However, 16% is an average. That means that half the people have more than a 16% reduction in pain. If you want to give it a shot, go for it.
My preference, however, is to recommend more tried-tested-and-true supplements first (we’ll talk about those later in this article).
One meta-analysis found curcumin to have fewer reactions than NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) for more or less the same efficacy. But some people still experience side effects like diarrhea and nausea.
Besides being an anti-inflammatory, curcumin also slows down cartilage degradation.
Which is Better?
It seems like a decent combination from a mechanistic perspective – glucosamine supports cartilage, and curcumin reduces inflammation. Too bad that as you learned, glucosamine supplements are virtually worthless. Curcumin supplements are kind of “meh.” So I guess if we were to choose between “virtually worthless” and “meh”, the latter wins.
Side Effects
While both glucosamine and turmeric are safe, a small number of people experience some mild side effects, like:
- Upset stomach
- Heartburn
- Headache
- Drowsiness
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
Better Alternatives
Now you know that glucosamine doesn’t work at all and turmeric/curcumin has a very weak effect, but there’s still a problem: you still have joint pain. So what supplements do work? Two of the most effective supplements for osteoarthritis are type 2 collagen and fish oil.
One meta-analysis found a 40% reduction in joint pain in 90 days of using type 2 collagen. Pretty impressive, considering that it’s on par with exercise, and yet, you don’t have to exercise to get the pain reduction.
As for fish oil, another meta-analysis found an average pain reduction of 23% in 12 weeks. When you shop for fish oil/omega 3, the label breaks it down into EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Look for a product with a minimum of 500 mg of EPA.
These are the only 2 supplements that actually work for the pain of osteoarthritis. They don’t re-grow cartilage, but they do reduce joint pain.
Despite that, it doesn’t stop a lot of supplement companies from making claims about other ingredients, even though they’re unproven or worse, disproven.
If you need more help with your joint pain, there are 3 ways I can help you:
- Check out my playlist on YouTube about osteoarthritis here. Or check out this article that I wrote here.
- Buy my book on Amazon, The Natural Approach to Osteoarthritis.
- If you want the best option, apply for 1-on-1 online personal training by filling out the application form on our home page. Filling it out doesn’t obligate you to anything. It’ll just schedule a quick, 10–15-minute zoom call with us. On this call, there’s no pressure, no hardcore sales pitch, and no obligation. It’s just a simple conversation to understand your situation, and how we can help your joints.
