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Rebuttal on Glucosamine/Chondroitin

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http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Industry/Glucosamine-chondroitin-trial-resul\

ts-meaningless-says-industry/?c=r%2FqtYdnCKMi4jN10Y%2FdfwA%3D%3D

Industry has thrown scorn on a study that questioned the ability of

glucosamine and chondroitin to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

The Washington-DC-based dietary

supplements<http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/content/search?SearchText=dietar\

y+supplements>trade

groups the Natural Products Association (NPA) and the Council for

Responsible Nutrition (CRN) called the study's findings irrelevant, as did a

member of the study's oversight committee.

* " This study's findings are useless and I am surprised it has been

published at all, " * said Theodosakis, oversight committee member and

assistant professor of medicine at the University of Arizona.

Theodosakis, the author of a book on

glucosamine<http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/content/search?SearchText=glucos\

amine>and

chondroitin<http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/content/search?SearchText=chondr\

oitin>and

sports medicine expert, said the study should have been binned because

it was deeply flawed for three major reasons:

- the sample size was too small (less than 400)

- the study length was too short (two years)

- the instruments were not sensitive enough to deliver meaningful

measurements

The study followed a large 2006 National Institutes of Health-funded study

called GAIT (glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial) that was

published in the *New England Journal of Medicine* in 2006.

To see NutraIngredients.com's review of the new study published in the

journal *Arthritis & Rheumatism* click

osteoarthritis<http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Glucosamine-chondroi\

tin-ineffective-for-%3Ca%20href=>-study "

target= " _blank " >here.

*Insensitive results*

* *

* " In regard to the measuring device, if weight was used as an analogy, it

would not have been able to discern between a thin person and an obese

person – that's how insensitive it was, " * Theodosakis told

NutraIngredients.com.

The device used to measure the gap between bones in the study – a measure

for the severity of osteoarthritis – had a precision error of 0.16mm.

* " Even if the device had actually been able to measure any benefits, you

need three years to gain real insights into how these nutrients work, "

*Theodosakis

said.* " The high quality studies in this area all show the effectiveness of

chondroitin and glucosamine to osteoporosis. " *

*Ill-designed*

Fabricant, PhD, vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs at

NPA criticized the study design and conclusions.

* " Even the researchers seem to question their own findings, " * he said. * " If

you look to the total body of research there is plenty of evidence that

glucosamine and chondroitin do work for the estimated 20m Americans with

osteoarthritis. " *

* " It's just a shame that these kind of studies have the potential to damage

the industry. " *

Fabricant's counterpart at CRN, Shao, PhD, called the results

* " perplexing

and inconsistent " * with the first GAIT results and other studies.

* " This trial was a follow-up to the original GAIT trial, using only a small

subset of the original cohort of patients. In addition, anecdotal reports

from consumers overwhelmingly indicate that glucosamine and chondroitin or

their combination are effective, " * Dr Shao said.

GAIT 1 had 800 patients, but many dropped out at the mid-interval.

*Further questions*

Even the study authors questioned the study's findings, implying the

ingredients may be less effective used together than individually. * " The

validity and mechanisms of this novel observation are uncertain but could be

related to altered absorption of glucosamine, " * wrote the researchers.

The trial included three hundred and fifty-seven people with an average age

of 56.9, given interventions of 1,500 mg of glucosamine, 1,200 mg of

chondroitin sulphate, a combination of both, 200 mg of celecoxib, or placebo

for 24 months.

phine P. Briggs, MD, director of the National Center for Complementary

and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), at the National Institutes of Health

(NIH), one of the study's funders said:

* " While these results are of interest, we cannot draw definitive

conclusions about the utility of glucosamine or chondroitin in reducing

joint space width loss, in part because the placebo group fared better than

anticipated based on prior research results. The results of the study

provide interesting insights for future research. " *

Theodakis called for data from the trial that remained unpublished to

brought to light including pain response, rescue medicine effects and side

effects.

He said his enquiries into why this information had not been published had

gone unanswered.

Glucosamine is extracted from the shell of crabs, lobster and shrimps.

Cargill also markets a non-animal, non-shellfish derived product. The

ingredient is often used in combination with chondroitin sulphate, extracted

from animal cartilage, such as sharks.

--

Ortiz, RD

The best vitamin

for making friends..... is B1.

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