MANILA, Philippines--Osteoarthritis patients now have a better chance of leading a normal life with the use of crystalline glucosamine sulfate (CGS) as against consuming glucosamine-laden food supplements, an official of World Health Organization said recently.

?Using food supplements is a gamble for patients,? warns Prof. Jean Yves Reginster, director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Public Health Aspects of Rheumatic Disorders. Among food supplements now being widely marketed in health food stores today are glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin sulfate.

?These substances don?t have the same formulations, and patients don?t know exactly what percentage of the supplement is glucosamine. CGS, meanwhile, is backed by extensive research and guarantees that a patient gets the effective dosage which is 1,500 mg per day,? she adds.

Experts agree that the right glucosamine preparation is crucial to the management and treatment of osteoarthritis. Evidence from clinical trials show that preferred medication for long-term treatment of patients with osteoarthritis is crystalline glucosamine sulfate at the oral daily dosage of 1,500 mg over glucosamine hydrochloride, which was shown to be only marginally effective.

In clinical trials using the pain subscale of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, the outcome of tests using glucosamine hydrochloride and placebo did not differ significantly. Same results were obtained in trials using chondroitin sulfate and placebo.

The GAIT (Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial) vs Celecoxib showed that neither glucosamine hydrochloride nor chondroitin sulfate alone is effective for treating osteoarthritis of the knee. And if patients choose to take glucosamine as a dietary supplement, then they should take glucosamine sulfate rather than glucosamine hydrochloride.

Glucosamine sulfate is a derivative of the natural amino-sugar substance that?s the basic component of body cartilage. In its original state, glucosamine sulfate cannot be used in the preparation of medicine or dietary supplements due to its unstable chemical nature. The Rotta Research Group has invented and patented a chemical process that can help stabilize the substance, thereby producing glucosamine sulfate suitable for patients with osteoarthritis.