Glucosamine sulfate side effects

Glucosamine Sulfate Side Effects: Sodium

There are various side effects caused by glucosamine but probably the most common one is its ability to increase the intake of sodium a person intakes every day. There is a lot of sodium in a regular diet so a person does not need to intake anymore. In order to prevent this from happening, a person simply needs to reduce the intake of salty foods so that the balance of sodium intake can be restored.

Glucosamine sulfate supplements have a lot of sodium in them. Certain supplements are even made of 30% sodium so a person should definitely read the label before buying any. A person should make sure that he or she does not exclude sodium intake entirely because the nerve cells need sodium to function properly. On the other hand, too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure.

Glucosamine Sulfate Side Effects: Allergic Reactions

Most of the glucosamine supplements are derived from one thing and that is shellfish. Because of that, people allergic to shellfish will have problems if they are consuming these supplements. The really sensitive ones need only a minuscule shellfish and that will cause an allergic reaction.

Nowadays, in the United States over 6 million people are allergic to shellfish. A majority of these people are only allergic to the protein in the flesh of the shellfish but there are those that are allergic to gelatin made from the shellfish. This is the reason why doctors advise people who are allergic to shellfish to avoid consuming supplements that are derived from it altogether.

However, a person who is allergic to shellfish can still consume this supplement but not the one derived from shellfish. There is a glucosamine sulfate supplement made from corn.

Glucosamine Sulfate Side Effects: Possible Insulin Resistance

There were some researches done on animals where the scientists noticed that glucosamine sulfate supplements might have an adverse effect on insulin resistance. This is important because insulin resistance is in a connection with diabetes.

However, no studies that were done on human subjects have either confirmed this or said that it was not true. Therefore, a person who is either suffering from diabetes or is in the phase when it is still developing should talk to a doctor before thinking about using this supplement.

Glucosamine Sulfate Side Effects: Gastrointestinal

There are also those side effects from the consumption of these supplements that are not serious. A softened stool and increased intestinal gas are some of them.

Glucosamine is an amino sugar that is essential for the biosynthesis of glycosylated proteins and lipids. It is a major constituent of extracellular matrix macromolecules such as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), glycolipids and glycoproteins in its acetylated form. It is present in high quantities in articular cartilage, intervertebral disc and synovial fluid.

Glucosamine is considered to be safe, and no serious or fatal adverse events have ever been reported from RCTs. However, several potential side effects have to be kept in mind.
The first and most evident side effect of glucosamine that patients should be aware of is shellfish allergy. Indeed, glucosamine is extracted from chitin contained in shellfish and could lead to allergic reactions in certain individuals. In addition, glucosamine sulfate is administered as a salt, combined with NaCl. This formulation provides up to 30% of the daily intake of salt.
Finally, some human and animal studies have suggested that glucosamine can affect glucose metabolism and it has been shown to induce insulin resistance. Despite the evidence, however, a recent comprehensive review supported by a glucosamine manufacturer has rejected these statements.
The authors concluded that glucosamine had no effect on fasting blood glucose levels, glucose metabolism, or insulin sensitivity at any oral dose level in healthy subjects, individuals with diabetes, or those with impaired glucose metabolism.

✓ Fact confirmed: Is there any scientific evidence for the use of glucosamine in the management of human osteoarthritis? Yves Henrotin, Ali Mobasheri, and Marc Marty; 2012 Jan 30.