Elations Healthier Joints Glucosamine/Chondroitin Supplement Product Review

I sometimes experience joint pain and discomfort. My friend Patty has frequent joint pain. Recently she was taking Tylenol for hip pain. Tired of taking OTC pain relievers, Patty wanted to try a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement. We found several brands at drug stores that come in tablets, capsules and in liquid form. Patty didn't like the idea of taking two or three tablets or capsules a day, or three tablespoons in addition to her vitamins and prescription drugs. We remembered seeing advertisements for Elations Healthier Joints Glucosamine/Chondroitin Supplement. I agreed to try it too. Here is my review:

Product Description
Elations is a liquid supplement that comes in 6-packs of 8-ounce bottles. You can choose from Cranberry Apple or Raspberry White Grape flavor. According to the label, this product "Contains no shellfish derived materials". So if you have shellfish allergies, it should be safe for you to take.

One bottle of Elations Healthier Joints Glucosamine/Chondroitin Supplement contains 1500 milligrams of Glucosamine HCI and 1200 milligrams of Chondroitin Sulfate. According to the company website, taking these amounts on a daily basis "... can help improve joint function and give joints what they need to stay healthy." It's important to note that, "Glucosamine is a dietary supplement that is not approved by the FDA."

Price and Availability
I found Elations Healthier Joints Glucosamine/Chondroitin Supplement at WalMart. A 6-pack
of 8-ounce bottles cost $6.28. Walgreens also carries this product. This product can be difficult to find at other drug stores, at least in my northeast Ohio area.

Product Ingredients
The Cranberry Apple flavor of Elations Healthier Joints Glucosamine/Chondroitin Supplement contains: Water and 2% or less of each of the following: Apple juice concentrate, glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, CCM™ (Calcium hydroxide, citric acid, malic acid), sucralose, boron trihydroxide, red #40, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect color), natural and artificial flavors.

Nutritional Facts
A serving of Elations Healthier Joints Glucosamine/Chondroitin Supplement is an 8-ounce bottle. One bottle contains a mere 30 calories, 8 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram sugar, 300 milligrams calcium, 1500 milligrams glucosamine HCI, 1200 milligrams chondroitin sulfate and 6 milligrams boron.

Test Results and Conclusion
The first thing Patty and I realized about Elations Healthier Joints Glucosamine/Chondroitin Supplement is that you don't drink it warm. It's low in sugar and has a tart taste. It tastes okay if it's refrigerated first.

This product is easy to take. Drink a bottle and you've taken the daily recommended amount of
glucosamine and chondroitin.

I didn't notice any difference in my joints by Day 3 of our experiment. Patty reported that her hips did in fact feel better. However, she also developed diarrhea, so she quit taking Elations Healthier Joints Glucosamine/Chondroitin Supplement. The next day her digestive system was back to normal. It could have been affected by this product, but it could have been caused by something else. Elations contains sucralose which is sold as Splenda. Diarrhea IS a possible side effect, but Patty has ingested Splenda before with no side effects.

I continued drinking Elations Healthier Joints Glucosamine/Chondroitin Supplement for the next three days.

So, Patty thinks Elations did help her hips feel better, but I didn't notice any difference. Can drinking Elations help you? You'll really have to try it for yourself and see. I did find some information in the March 2009 issue of Reader's Digest that might help you decide: In the arthritis study conducted a few years ago known as "GAIT", the results indicated that glucosamine and chondroitin "didn't ease pain in people with mild arthritis." These supplements did seem to help people who have "severe discomfort".

Resources
www.elations.com
Reader's Digest (2009, March). Advances in Osteoarthritis, p. 91