Anyone who goes online to research glucosamine will be confronted by a whole lot of information, most of it being presented by companies wanting to sell their own joint supplement. There are a few so-called independent sources, but you have to be careful about them as well since some are being paid by a supplement company to say what they want to be said.

So, what are the facts and falacies about glucosamine? What follows is a list of some of the most important. Every one is based upon factual information, much of which was obtained through decades of scientific clinical studies performed by independent laboratories.

Glucosamine HCl is just as good as Glucosamine Sulphate.

FALSE. Since the majority of joint supplements contain Glucosamine Hydrochloride (HCl), it is in the best interests of supplement companies to say that it works just as well as Glucosamine Sulphate. The truth, however, is that in order for Glucosamine HCl to work at all, the hydrochloride must be removed and sulpher (sulfer) added. This is because, without sulpher, the production of connective tissues comes to a stop. In most glucosamine supplements, replacing the hydrochloride with sulpher is accomplished by combining the Glucosamine HCl with Chondroitin Sulfate. However, because of its larger molecular size, the amount of chondroitin that is actually absorbed by the joints is severly limited. As much 70% can end up in the urine and feces.

The truth is that virtually all of the clinical studies done on glucosamine were performed on Glucosamine Sulphate, not Glucosamine HCl. It is the form that is backed by all the decades of clinical scientific evidence of glucosamine's effectiveness. Until new independent clinical trials are performed on Glucosamine HCl, this will remain true. For more information, see The Different Types.

Using Glucosamine is safer than using a prescription arthritis medication.

TRUE. Like all synthetic drugs, Celebrex® and other arthritis prescription medications come with the danger of side effects, some of them serious and even life-threatening. Glucosamine Sulphate is safe, effective, and completely natural to the body. It will not negatively interact with or interfere with other systemic responses, medical treatments or medications, and can actually help support the tissues those prescription drugs have been shown to harm. Adverse effects are limited to mild, reversible gastrointestinal side effects. In one trial, people with peptic ulcers and those taking diuretic drugs were more likely to experience such side effects. A good quality glucosamine supplement containing Glucosamine Sulphate is pure nutrition for the joints, naturally giving them what they need to return to a strong, healthy state. No prescription drug can make that claim.

Liquid glucosamine supplements are the best to take.

FALSE. Though liquid vitamin supplements are definitely the best way to go, the same is not true with glucosamine. Glucosamine HCl, the form of glucosamine found in most supplements, begins breaking down within 27 hours of being put in liquid. Within 4 days, these new "breakdown products" form completely different molecules that are 20 times larger than what was originally in the solution, making it much harder for your body to use. All of this often happens before the product leaves the manufacturer! By the time you buy it, most of the effectiveness is gone. Companies that sell liquid glucosamine supplements are perfectly aware of this, but are counting on the fact that most consumers are under the impression that the liquid form of supplements is always the best to take. Steer clear of all liquid glucosamine supplements! Powdered glucosamine can be added to cold liquids such as juice, tea, etc., but it must be consumed within 24 hours for it to remain fully affective.

The 2KCl in Glucosamine Sulphate 2KCl is table salt.

FALSE. This claim is really quite laughable. Any Web site that claims this was either created by someone who is ignorant of the facts or is knowingly lying in order to steer the consumer in the direction of a supplement they are trying to sell. NaCl is sodium chloride, which is, indeed, the same thing as table salt. KCl, on the other hand, is potassium chloride, the good stuff that's in foods like bananas. The average Western diet is lacking in sufficient sources of potassium, meaning that a great many adults in the U.S. are potassium deficient, some seriously so.

Glucosamine Sulphate in supplements is usually in the form of Glucosamine Sulphate NaCl or Glucosamine Sulphate 2KCl. Since we usually have way more sodium in our diets than we need, the one with 2KCl is the better of the two. So, why have either? Sodium chloride and potassium chloride are mineral salts, which act to stabilize the Glucosamine Sulphate. They are not in there as a filler, something that one site we found claimed.

More Facts & Falacies to come. . . .