Diabetes Glucosamine

Many patients with diabetes wonder if glucosamine supplement use will increase their blood sugar, cause insulin resistance, or cause problems with blood vessels. It appears that patients with diabetes can safely take glucosamine. One study also shows patients with diabetes can safely take a glucosamine chondroitin combination supplement.

Joint Power Rx Formulated by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
Because joint pain is so debilitating, glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate alone are often not enough. This powerful joint formula includes several additional herbal extracts and nutrients including MSM, CMO, boswellia serrata, turmeric, cat's claw extract, grape seed extract, and sea cucumber for optimal joint health.  

Joint Power Rx Supplement has:
Glucosamine sulfate (from shellfish) - glucosamine is a popular ingredient in many joint health products
Chondroitin sulfate - chondroitin is a popular ingredient in many joint health products
MSM nutrient which stands for methylsulfonylmethane
CMO complex also known as cetyl myristoleate
Boswellia serrata extract is used in Ayurvedic medicine
Turmeric is an herb that contains curcumin
Cat's claw extract comes from the Amazon jungle
Devil's claw is a plant widely used in South African traditional medicine,
Grape seed extracts have compounds called procyanidolic oligomers which are powerful antioxidants, perhaps much greater than vitamins C and E.
Sea cucumbers have a number of substances that have therapeutic value.

Glucosamine does not increase blood sugar level
Oral glucosamine for 6 weeks at standard doses does not cause or worsen insulin resistance or endothelial dysfunction in lean or obese subjects.
Diabetes. 2006 Nov;55(11):3142-50. Muniyappa R, Karne RJ, Hall G, Crandon SK, Bronstein JA, Ver MR, Hortin GL, Quon MJ. Chief, Diabetes Unit, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Dr., Bldg. 10, Rm. 6C-205, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Glucosamine is a popular nutritional supplement used to treat osteoarthritis. Intravenous administration of glucosamine causes insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction. We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover trial of oral glucosamine at standard doses (500 mg orally three tiems a day) in lean and obese subjects. Glucosamine or placebo treatment for 6 weeks was followed by a 1-week washout and crossover to the other arm. At baseline, and after each treatment period, insulin sensitivity was assessed by hyperinsulinemic-isoglycemic glucose clamp and endothelial function. As expected, at baseline, obese subjects had insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction when compared with lean subjects. When compared with placebo, glucosamine did not cause insulin resistance or endothelial dysfunction in lean subjects or significantly worsen these findings in obese subjects. The half-life of plasma glucosamine after oral dosing was approximately 150 min, with no significant changes in steady-state glucosamine levels detectable after 6 weeks of therapy. We conclude that oral glucosamine at standard doses for 6 weeks does not cause or significantly worsen insulin resistance or endothelial dysfunction in lean or obese subjects.

Effect of glucosamine supplementation on fasting and non-fasting plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations in healthy individuals.
Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2004 Jun;12(6):506-11. Tannis AJ, Barban J, Conquer JA. University of Guelph, Department of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, Ontario, Canada.
To test the hypothesis that glucose intolerance does not occur when healthy adults consume normal, recommended dosages of glucosamine sulfate. Healthy adults ingested 1500 mg of glucosamine sulfate or placebo (double blind) each day for 12 weeks. Three-hour oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were performed using 75 g of dextrose. These occurred before the start of supplementation, at 6 weeks, and at the completion of supplementation (12 weeks). There were no significant differences between fasted levels of serum insulin or blood glucose. Glucosamine sulfate supplementation did not alter serum insulin or plasma glucose during the OGTT. There were no significant differences within or between treatments, ages or gender. Glycated hemoglobin measurements at the three time points showed no significant change over time, within or between treatments, ages or gender. The lack of significant changes may have been due to large standard deviations in the data. The data suggests that glucosamine supplementation, with normal recommended dosages, does not cause glucose intolerance in healthy adults.

Diabetes glucosamine questions
Q. Can a person with type 2 diabetes which is well controlled take glucosamine sulfate?
   A. Glucosamine supplement use does not seem to increase blood sugar levels and thus glucosamine is a safe supplement for patients with diabetes.

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