• One in three Americans lives with arthritis, reports the Arthritis Foundation.
  
• Thirty million Americans have arthritis symptoms, according to a 1997 survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control.
  
• Twenty-eight million with joint pain and inflammation are past age 45.

If you’re suffering the pain of osteoarthritis, you don't have a drug to reverse your pain, stiffness, and other debilitating symptoms. Or do you? A controversial three-year study of 212 patients in Belgium suggests that those who were given glucosamine, a popular dietary supplement recommended by some rheumatologists to reduce pain, showed no appreciable loss of cartilage in their arthritic knee, as well as improvement in pain and mobility.

But buyers beware: Not all glucosamine products are alike. Most contain metals and other impurities that can make what you’re consuming for your health quite unhealthy.

TransferPoint’s USA Glucosamine™ is different because you know exactly what you’re getting. When analyzed against other major brands, using a “pure” 99+ percent lab sample standard, our glucosamine was found to be 99.3 percent, 101 percent, 101 percent, and 101.7 percent pure, guaranteeing the lowest amounts of unwanted toxic heavy metals or other contaminants.

What is glucosamine?

A natural compound normally formed in the body from glucose, glucosamine is found in cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and other tissues that surround and cushion the joints. Glucosamine is an important material that the body uses to build cartilage, synovial fluid, and other connective tissue to maintain the healthy structure and function of joints and to support movement, flexibility and greater mobility. Yet, as we age we produce less glucosamine, which means that the health of our joints is compromised.

There is strong scientific evidence that glucosamine slows the progression of the osteoarthritis, the deterioration of cartilage between joint bones, and may promote the formation and repair of cartilage. This means that glucosamine is a powerful anti-arthritic to help reduce pain.

Know your source

Usually made from chitin — which is what the shells of shrimp, lobsters, and crabs are made of — glucosamine can also come from animal connective tissues. When prepared commercially, glucosamine is made in many forms, including glucosamine sulfate, glucosamine hydrochloride (HCl), and N-acetylglucosamine (NAG), and some preparations may contain a potassium chloride or sodium chloride salt.

Currently, glucosamine is not considered a drug in the U.S. and is not tested for quality by any agency before sale. Most industry sources will estimate that more than 90 percent of the glucosamine sold in the United States is imported from China, where quality control, if existent at all, is lax. Consequently, the US market has been flooded with cheap raw materials that likely contain metals and other contaminants that would make the products undesirable, if disclosure was complete.

And the fact is, most companies accept Certificates of Analysis that state the product “is in compliance,” but the sensitivity of the tests used does not fully disclose all the impurities. For example:

As a consumer, you do not want 9-plus PPM of a combination of certain heavy metals and you certainly do not want 1.9 PPM of any single metal like mercury, lead, cadmium, or arsenic. Such metals accumulate over time in the body’s tissues and can cause many undesirable side effects and diseases.

The metals contained in TransferPoint’s USA Glucosamine(™ or ®?), measured using the most precise industry standards, are virtually non-detectable.

The bottom line: Know the source of the raw materials and the manufacturer!

Which form of glucosamine is the best?

A large, long-term human study on glucosamine hydrochloride (HCl), Chondroitin Sulphate, the combination of the two, and placebo is currently being conducted by the National Institutes of Health. And other researchers have conducted many studies and analysis showing that glucosamine works. But until all the data is in, we must make our decisions based upon the best scientific evidence available.

In my opinion, the best for now is glucosamine hydrochloride. First, I am not completely convinced that the chondroitin sulphate alone will outperform the glucosamine alone. Second, current research suggests that the chondroitin sulphate must have a very low molecular weight to have a chance of being absorbed (below 14,000 Daltons molecular weight).

Of course, as the NIH continues its work and reports its findings, I will strive to provide the appropriate molecular-weight goods that are equally free of contaminants. And, should chondroitin sulphate prove to be beneficial, I will add it to my formula.

Further confusion can arise because glucosamine is classified and sold as a dietary supplement, meaning it has not gone through the FDA approval process. As with any supplement, it is best to consult a health practitioner. Glucosamine is sold at health food stores and drug stores, and is available with or without salt.

How can you be sure you’re choosing the best product?

If measured in PPM, TransferPoint’s USA Glucosamine(TM or R?) would have non-detectable levels of all metals and toxins across the board. We measure our product in PPB* and offer full disclosure on the results.

The bottom line? Rate your tolerance for potential exposure. Then buy a “health” supplement that is what it claims to be — GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH!

*PPM: parts per million
*PPB: part per billion

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