The key difference between glucosamine chondroitin and glucosamine MSM is that according to the recent research studies, glucosamine-chondroitin complex gives relief from osteoarthritis symptoms comparatively slower than the glucosamine MSM complex.
Glucosamine is an organic compound we can categorize as an amino sugar. This is useful as a dietary supplement. According to recent research studies, glucosamine in combination with chondroitin or MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) can relieve the pain from osteoarthritis.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Glucosamine Chondroitin
3. What is Glucosamine MSM
4. Side by Side Comparison – Glucosamine Chondroitin vs Glucosamine MSM in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Glucosamine Chondroitin?
Glucosamine is an organic compound having the chemical formula C6H13O5. We can categorize it as an amino sugar and is a prominent precursor in the biochemical synthesis of glycosylated proteins and lipids. We can identify glucosamine as one of the most abundant monosaccharides.
When considering the preparation of glucosamine, we can manufacture it via processing chitin from the shells of shellfish, including the shrimp, lobsters, and crabs. Moreover, in order to catch the eye of vegetarian people in the market, manufacturers have brought glucosamine products using fungus species such as Aspergillus niger and through the fermentation of corn.
There are several important medical uses of glucosamine. It is useful as a dietary supplement and is not considered as a prescription drug. E.g. glucosamine is illegal in the United States to be used as a drug for any disease. Therefore, this substance is available in the market as a supplement that supports the structure and function of joints. But, this market targets people with osteoarthritis. The most commonly sold form of glucosamine is glucosamine sulfate. There are some other forms as well – e.g. glucosamine-chondroitin, glucosamine hydrochloride, etc.
Glucosamine chondroitin is a complex form from the combination of glucosamine with chondroitin sulfate. It is useful as a drug in medicine, and it is not routinely prescribed for treating people having symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee because there is insufficient evidence that this drug can help in this matter. Therefore, this is an alternative medicine to treat osteoarthritis. Moreover, there can be some side effects of consuming this complex, including nausea and diarrhoea.
What is Glucosamine MSM?
Glucosamine MSM is a complex compound made from the combination of glucosamine and methylsulfonylmethane. According to some Indian research studies, when glucosamine MSM complex is used for relieving the pain from osteoarthritis, there is considerable improvement of symptoms like pain, inflammation and swelling in patients that are relieved from the intake of glucosamine MSM complex. However, the research compares the activity of glucosamine chondroitin complex along with the glucosamine MSM complex, which has resulted in pain relief that occurs considerably faster when glucosamine MSM complex is used. In other words, the addition of MSM to glucosamine significantly reduces the time of benefit that we can get from this complex. These research studies also show that the addition of MSM to glucosamine increases the magnitude of these benefits.
What is the Difference Between Glucosamine Chondroitin and Glucosamine MSM?
Glucosamine is an organic compound that we can categorize as an amino sugar. This is useful as a dietary supplement. According to recent research, glucosamine in combination with chondroitin or MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) can relieve the pain from osteoarthritis. However, glucosamine is not routinely prescribed for treating people having symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee because there is insufficient evidence to show its effectiveness. Nevertheless, the key difference between glucosamine-chondroitin and glucosamine MSM is that glucosamine-chondroitin complex gives relief from osteoarthritis symptoms comparatively slower than the glucosamine MSM complex.
Summary – Glucosamine Chondroitin vs Glucosamine MSM
Glucosamine chondroitin complex and glucosamine MSM complex are important supplements that are available in the market. The key difference between glucosamine chondroitin and glucosamine MSM is that according to the recent research, glucosamine-chondroitin complex gives relief from osteoarthritis symptoms comparatively slower than the glucosamine MSM complex. However, glucosamine is not routinely prescribed for treating people having symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee because there is insufficient evidence to show its effectiveness.
Reference:
1. DerSarkissian, Carol. Arthritis Supplements: Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM. 22 July 2020, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Osteoarthritis” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia