Glucosamine
Glucosamine is essentially a type of sugar – a 6 carbon amino sugar – that is found concentrated in cartilage. It is absorbed easily if taken orally and has been shown to be non toxic. Laboratory studies have shown that glucosamine appears to have stimulating effects upon cartilage cells, causing them to increase their production of substances which make up the matrix of cartilage. In similar laboratory studies, glucosamine has been shown to provide some anti-inflammatory effects protecting the cartilage. Glucosamine is also a substrate for components of the cartilage matrix as well as hyaluronic acid which is an important component of cartilage.