Omega-3 Plus Glucosamine Superior for Joint Health
Lee Swanson Research Update
Scientists in Germany have found that combining omega-3 fatty acids with glucosamine achieves better improvements in joint health than glucosamine alone.
The study, published in the journal Advances in Therapy, is said to be the first clinical trial to employ the combination of glucosamine and omega-3 fatty acids in people suffering from osteoarthritis.
Dr. Joerg Gruenwald and his co-workers in Berlin recruited 177 people with moderate-to-severe hip or knee osteoarthritis and randomly assigned them to receive either a glucosamine sulfate supplement (1,500 mg per day) or glucosamine plus omega-3 fatty acids (providing 444 mg of fish oil, of which 200 mg were omega-3 fatty acids).
"Because the patients studied had moderate-to-severe knee or hip osteoarthritis pain, a placebo group was not used for ethical reasons," explained the researchers.
After 26 weeks of supplementation, the researchers tested pain levels using the established Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthrosis index score.
While there was no significant difference between the number of responders in each group when a minimal pain reduction of at least 20% was used, significant differences were observed when a higher responder criterion of at least 80% pain reduction was used.
Indeed, the combination product reduced morning stiffness and pain in the hips and knees by between 48.5% and 55.6%, compared to 41.7% to 55.3% in the glucosamine only group.
Advances in Therapy Published online ahead of print.