Chondroitin

Chondroitin Sulfate

... Since its discovery in the 1960s, chondroitin has gained popularity as a treatment for osteoarthritis (OA), which usually results from the gradual wearing away of the cartilage that cushions the joints. Chondroitin is one of the components of cartilage. Made from animal or synthetic cartilage, supplemental chondroitin is believed to delay the break down of human cartilage and also to encourage the production of new cartilage. Additionally, chondroitin may draw water into the joint spaces, helping with lubrication. In human studies, participants reported general decreases in pain and increases in joint movement after taking chondroitin by mouth. However, it should be noted that most of the study participants also took aspirin or other conventional treatments for arthritis during these studies. For some individuals, maximum relief was not achieved for as long as 4 months. Although chondroitin is often combined with a similar dietary supplement called glucosamine, the combination has not been proved to be more effective than taking either product alone. ...

Chemical structure of one unit in a chondroitin sulfate chain. Chondroit ...