As part of longevity research, many people are concerned with keeping their bodies healthy for as long as possible. In addition to maintaining cognitive performance, muscles and general cell health, this also includes healthy joints and bones. In this article we are therefore devoting ourselves to the substance that has been known for a long time: Glucosamine. The molecule has been the focus of research on joint pain for decades and recently also on longevity. But what's really going on and is it worth taking glucosamine? We'll clarify.
Glucosamine at a glance
Glucosamine occurs naturally in our body. The substance is part of our joint fluid, our cartilage and our connective tissue. As the name suggests, glucosamine is a compound made up of a sugar and an amino group. But it is not only found in our bodies, but also in the shells of shellfish, in animal bones and in the bone marrow. Glucosamine is also naturally contained in some mushrooms.
The molecule serves in our body as a precursor for the production of glycosylated proteins and fats. The Glycosylation means the chemical reaction in which carbohydrates e.g.b be combined with proteins or fats.
How is glucosamine made?
Production takes place in different ways. One possibility is to obtain glucosamine from further processing of chitin from shellfish such as:b Crab, shrimp or lobster. The production of chitin by hydrolysis (breakdown) was first achieved by a German researcher in 1876.
What you need to know: Because many glucosamine supplements are derived from shellfish, they may not be safe for people with a shellfish allergy. There is therefore a warning on many products. In this case, you can buy glucosamine of plant origin or obtained from mushrooms.
For the animal-free production of glucosamine for vegans or vegetarians, the substance is used, for example.b obtained from the fungus Aspergillus niger or from the fermentation of corn . So there is the possibility to also take vegan glucosamine and avoid an allergic reaction to shellfish.
Glucosamine and chondroitin – is the combination worth it?
Glucosamine is available in various forms. The most common forms are glucosamine sulfate, glucosamine hydrochloride and N-acetylglucosamine . Of these forms, glucosamine sulfate is thought to have a possible effect on osteoarthritis. Many manufacturers sell glucosamine in combination with other preparations such as:b Chondroitin or dimethyl sulfone or Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM for short).
However, there is currently no established and justifiable study situation for this. The data in this regard is very thin. However, the Swiss longevity researcher Collin Ewald is investigating the substance chondroitin with regard to a possible life-extending effect. More on that later.
Why and when should you supplement glucosamine?
Glucosamine has been sold as a dietary supplement for decades. Manufacturers usually suggest a positive effect on joints and knee pain. Therefore, many people with joint inflammation or pain buy this product with the hope that it will relieve the condition. The idea is based on the fact that the glucosamine is absorbed by the body and e.g.b in the joint or Cartilage is installed.
An older meta study came to the conclusion that glucosamine sulfate alone or in combination with Chondroitin has no pain-relieving effect in patients with osteoarthritis. In addition, no demonstrable effect on joint wear could be observed. However, there is a more recent meta-analysis from 2020. This came to the conclusion that glucosamine sulfate at a dose of 1500 mg per day very well has a cartilage-protecting effect, which could reduce pain and increase mobility.
High purity glucosamine sulfate from MoleQlar is available in a supply pack of 90 capsules.
Glucosamine and osteoarthritis – a closer look
The consumer advice center points out on its website that glucosamine has shown contradictory results in studies and that there is no connection with improved joint function - that's true for now, It's still worth it a closer look at the (especially more recent) studies.
First of all, we have to distinguish between two clinical pictures. The arthrosis – i.e. the age-related loss of cartilage and the arthritis – one inflammatory joint disease. These two terms are often confused and the distinction is very important because the mechanism of the disease is different!
Without diving too deeply into medicine, you can remember that the main difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis is the inflammatory reaction . If you look at the studies on glucosamine and osteoarthritis , then it's true, the results are sometimes contradictory. On the other hand, the work on glucosamine and arthritis is more informative.
The researchers were able to identify a significant benefit from glucosamine supplementation in temporomandibular joint arthritis. It was important to take glucosamine for a longer period of time, in this case at least three months.
Glucosamine and longevity
In addition to the joint issue, glucosamine recently, the main focus has been on longevity in the scientific headlines. As early as 2014, researchers discovered a life-extending effect of glucosamine in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans . The extent to which these results can be transferred to humans is currently unclear. A 2018 study confirmed these results in the same model organism. The life-extending effect was attributed to the activation of autophagy .
A recently published study from 2022 also concluded that higher glucosamine levels may increase life expectancy. In 2021, an article by Dr. Collin Ewald, a leading longevity researcher at ETH Zurich. In his Ewaldlab the Swiss researches the molecular mechanisms of healthy aging. He placed chondroitin at the center of his research and came to the conclusion that the molecule may be a suitable geroprotectant. By this he means a molecule with age-protecting effects.
What should I pay attention to when taking it?
As with all dietary supplements, it is advisable to speak to appropriate specialists beforehand. In any case, you should definitely avoid taking the substance in very large quantities in an uncontrolled manner, as this could otherwise lead to side effects. In addition, people who take blood-thinning medications should consult a doctor, as there are interactions between glucosamine and medications from the group of vitamin K antagonists can come.
Good to know: The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment advocates that people with impaired glucose tolerance or If you have manifest diabetes mellitus, you should also be careful when taking glucosamine. The amino sugar can make blood sugar control more difficult.
Before starting any supplementation, it is advisable to speak to your trusted doctor.
Glucosamine affects the microbiome
The change of the microbiome is one of the hallmarks of aging. With age, the diversity of bacteria decreases and the symbiosis develops into a dysbiosis. For this reason, the microbiome is one of the most central areas of research, as many diseases are associated with an imbalance.
Glucosamine was examined for its interaction with the microbiome in this review article . The idea behind it: We only absorb about half of the glucosamine through the intestine, the rest is available to the bacteria. In preclinical studies, supplementation of glucosamine was able to increase the number of potentially health-promoting bacteria, while at the same time suppressing the more harmful bacteria.
Glucosamine as an autophagy enhancer
The researchers attribute the potential longevity effects of glucosamine to glucosamine's ability to increase autophagy. Autophagy is the cell's own recycling system, which no longer functions as efficiently as we age. Altered autophagy is therefore also one of the hallmarks of aging.
Glucosamine activates autophagy in the body via various signaling pathways, including the mTOR pathway, similar to fasting it does too. In this context, spermidine is also often examined. Improved autophagy is associated with several health benefits and this pathway is probably also responsible for the positive results in the animals.
The molecular mode of action of glucosamine could also possibly explain why glucosamine is more effective in arthritis than in osteoarthritis. As you may remember, inflammation plays a crucial role in arthritis. Glucosamine works, among other things, via the NF-kB pathway and thus reduces the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. So there are fewer messenger substances that promote inflammation.
Did you know? Fasting is also molecular. It is one of the most effective methods to activate autophagy in the body. A similar approach is taken by Fasting mimetics. These are molecules that suggest to the body that there is a nutrient deficiency even though none is present. This means you can support autophagy without fasting. In addition to glucosamine, berberine and spermidine are considered fasting mimetics. You get all three together in our Fasting Bundle.
Glucosamine and its effect on blood sugar
With regard to blood sugar and glucosamine, there are various studies that take a closer look at the interaction. First of all, you have to differentiate between people who already have a disturbed sugar metabolism (insulin resistance) (or already manifest diabetes mellitus). For these people, every additional gram of sugar per day can make management more difficult.
On the other hand, increased glucosamine intake in non-diabetics was associated with a lower incidence of diabetes. Even though this was only an observational study, there were over 400.000 people included.
Another point is the question of weight gain. In some animal experiments, the supplemented mice showed a higher body weight. However, these results could not be reproduced in humans.
Conclusion
Glucosamine is a scientifically well-studied and frequently sold dietary supplement. The study situation for joint and knee pain is currently not entirely clear. New large studies are trending towards a detectable effect. However, in the context of longevity research, glucosamine could be a promising substance in the fight against aging.
Here, too, there is still a part of the scientific path to be taken in order to explore the full potential of the molecule in various organisms. Until then, it will remain exciting to see what else will be researched in the next few years in relation to our aging process and what role glucosamine plays in this. The current studies suggest great things.
