How To Buy Glucosamine?
Glucosamine is one of the most commonly used supplements available today. It is widely believed to be effective in the treatment of arthritis and has been shown to be beneficial in prominent research trials. The problem is that there are many choices in glucosamine supplements so a common question arises about how to buy glucosamine.
Forms of Glucosamine
Glucosamine is a naturally occurring substance that is most often extracted from crustacean shells but can be made from corn. It is thought to provide building blocks to the formation of healthy cartilage and can slow the degeneration of joints in people with arthritis.
Glucosamine is often combined with chondroitin, a substance found in cartilage that provides lubrication and flexibility in cartilage. Glucosamine is also available as a hydrochloride (HCl) salt or a sulfate (SO4) salt. Neither of these salt formations appear to change the effectiveness of glucosamine. Glucosamine methysulfonylmethane (MSM) is a combination of glucosamine and a biologically active form of sulfur which may increase the effectiveness of the supplement.
Glucosamine is available in liquid, tablet and capsule formulations. Some natural health practitioners believe that liquid formulation is better as it is already dissolved and therefore may be easier for the body to absorb and use it but there is no actual research to support this claim and many believe that tablets and capsules work just as well.
Things to Consider
Quality of ingredients – When purchasing a supplement of any type, including glucosamine it is very important to ensure that the manufacturer has a reputation of using high grade ingredients from known sources. With glucosamine, it may be important to know if the glucosamine is derived from shellfish or corn in the case of an allergy to either substance. The manufacturer of a high quality glucosamine supplement should offer a purity and concentration guarantee.
Reputation of the manufacturer – The natural supplement market is a big one. Any supplement, including glucosamine should be purchased from a manufacturer that has a long standing reputation for high quality products. A guarantee of quality is an ideal way to ensure that the glucosamine supplement will be effective.
Cost – The cheapest product will never be the best but purchasing the most expensive glucosamine supplement will not ensure that you are getting the best product. A high quality supplement will fall within the price range of known products. You should be sure that you are getting the right amount of daily dosage (generally considered to be around 1500mg) for a median price.
Most glucosamine supplements will cost $30 to $50 per month.
Availability – You can go to a health food store, grocery store, drugstore or shop online for glucosamine supplements. At a health food store, you will have a wide variety of natural products to choose from and compare but supplements at health food stores often cost more. At a grocery store or drugstore, you may pay less but will not have the variety to choose from.
Shopping online will offer you a chance to compare product to product and price to price but you may not be able to read the entire label. You may wish to look at the health food and other stores products and then research online to get the best product for the best price. Shopping online also offers you the ability to have the supplement shipped to your home when you run out.
