Which Form of Glucosamine is Most Effective?
There are three forms of glucosamine available today. Injected(!), solid and liquid. One of the best ways to take glucosamine from a chemical perspective would be to inject, daily, glucosamine into your joints. Not only are there no commercially available products on the market today that are in this form, drinking a high quality liquid would confer essentially the same benefits. Due to absorption issues and potential problems with less effective forms of glucosamine, pills or tablets are not recommended.
In humans, aside from the absorption reasons, liquid is a great alternative to pills. Simply drink directly or mix with a favorite beverage. Most glucosamine formulas that are not glycerin based will be soluble in water, a soft drink or fruit juice. In pets, liquid is by far the #1 way to administer glucosamine. Simply pour it over your pet's food. No biting and scratching while you try and cram a pill down the animal's throat.
How Do I Find the Best Glucosamine Product?
In order to select a quality glucosamine product, one must weigh several important elements to arrive at the best mix of plusses and minuses.
Glucosamine Evaluation Criteria:
> Form: Liquid or Pill
> Glucosamine Dose Size
> Other Ingredients
> Glucosamine Type
> Ingredient Purity
> Total Cost
> Method of Administration
The most important criteria is the form, followed by the dose size. Pills simply are not the best answer. Pills contain glucosamine that is bound to many fillers and stabilizers. Pure liquid glucosamine is simply a suspension of glucosamine, without wasteful binders and fillers. This leads to far greater absorption, more relief, less waste and much better results. Take the Physicians Desk Reference for example. They state that liquids are up to 98% absorbed versus just 10 to 20% of vitamins and minerals in solid form. Try getting that with pills, tablets or powders. You simply can't.
The next important criteria is the dose size of glucosamine. Most products on the market today contain at least 1,000 mg of glucosamine. There is a reason for this. Most clinical trials used at least 1,000 mg per day as their dose size. Some manufacturers may provide 300, 500, or 750 mg of glucosamine, but then you would need to take several doses a day just to get a dose of 1,500 mg for instance.
Other ingredients are important as well. For example, Chondroitin and MSM are generally used in combination with glucosamine in what is known as a "synergistic" way. Synergistic simply means that they work together to give you additional benefits. Some beneficial synergistic ingredients for arthritis are: Chondroitin Sulfate, MSM, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Manganese Ascorbate, Aloe Vera, Boswellia Serrata (Boswellin), Niacinamide, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Bromelaine, and Yucca.
Ingredient purity is an issue when many different companies have been accused of trying to cheat their customers by not actually selling the correct amount of product or by using low quality ingredients. Look for a product that is manufactured in a facility that holds GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certifications and is not some "generic" brand of no name glucosamine. Contact information about the manufacturer should be readily available online or on the bottle and the manufacturer should have a toll free number for product inquiries.
For many people, the total cost is something that is important to consider. Premium products generally fetch a premium price and it is fine to shop around but when it comes to your health, it is generally recommended not to skimp too much. Plus, many manufactures are out to trick you with much less effective (and cheaper) KCl or NaCl forms, or even with the completely ineffective creams. Most quality glucosamine supplements will run you around $30 for a one months supply. Be sure to compare the daily cost of the product as well, as many pills that contain 120 pills may require you to take 5 or 6 per day to get 1,500 mg of glucosamine per day.
The method of administration is important. Many liquids out there are difficult to administer. One of the easier ones is a product by the name of Flexicose. Flexicose combines a clever built in measuring cup (no more spills or fumbling around) with high quality liquid glucosamine at 1,500 mg per dose. Flexicose also includes Chondroitin, MSM as well as 10 additional synergistic ingredients and is manufactured in a facility that holds GMP and TGA certifications - some of the most stringent in the industry. For these reasons and more, we rate Flexicose a best buy. More information on Flexicose can be obtained at http://www.flexicose.com/.
Liquid glucosamine is far more convenient to take, for both humans and pets. Have you ever tried giving your pets a pill? With liquid glucosamine, simply pour it over their food. Also, with liquid glucosamine, you can get a much more concentrated dose. As a result, you only have to take 1/4 to 1/2 ounce daily (depending on the brand), instead of 3 - 6 horse pills.
Lastly, liquid glucosamine also has the added benefit of working faster than pills, due to the higher absorption. Instead of waiting months in some cases, liquid glucosamine starts working within 1 - 2 weeks for most people. In some more severe cases it may take up to 3 or 4 weeks to see its effectiveness, but the effects are going to be stronger and last longer than other drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen, so don’t give up. Relief is on the way and it is found with high quality liquid glucosamine.