A combination supplement popular for treating joint pain also reduces deaths from cardiovascular diseases.
Regular intake of glucosamine with chondroitin is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular-related deaths and dying from any cause.
Taking this supplement every day for a year can lower the rate of dying from cardiovascular diseases by 65 percent and all-cause mortality by 39 percent.
According to the study, glucosamine with chondroitin supplementation is as effective as regular exercise in lowering total death rates.
However, this doesn’t mean that we can get the same health benefits from the tablet alone if we miss out regular exercises.
Professor Dana King, the study’s lead author, said:
“Does this mean that if you get off work at five o’clock one day, you should just skip the gym, take a glucosamine pill and go home instead?
That’s not what we suggest.
Keep exercising, but the thought that taking a pill would also be beneficial is intriguing.”
The 65 percent reduced deaths for cardiovascular disease includes heart disease, which is the world’s biggest killer and coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.
One possible reason that glucosamine and chondroitin can lower the death rate in general is related to their effect on pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are able to reduce inflammation by suppressing proinflammatory cytokines (small proteins released by cells).
Glucosamine with chondroitin is an natural compound found in the connective tissues, including the cartilage, but they can be produced from shellfish or fungi.
Glucosamine with chondroitin supplements sold over the counter are popular products for treating joint pain and osteoarthritis.
Professor King takes glucosamine plus chondroitin supplements himself, he said:
“I’m in a local cyclists’ club, and we go for rides on weekends.
One day I asked the other cyclists if they took glucosamine, and everyone did.
And I thought, ‘Well, I wonder if this is really helpful?’ That’s how I got curious about it.”
The study analysed the data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey on 16,686 American adults who were 40 years or older.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (King & Xiang, 2020).
