Joint Supplements: Not All Products Alike

With the Baby Boomers aging, more and more individuals in the U.S. will have chronic joint problems, because osteoarthritis increases with age. Osteoarthritis increased from 21 million in 1990 to 27 million in 2005 according to CDC. Since no cure currently exists for the condition, consumers turn to supplements to reduce pain and swelling.

Background of the Problem:

Osteoarthritis suffers seek out nutritional supplements as adjuncts to their daily doses of ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help deal with the symptoms of stiff, painful joints that limit physical activity. Consumers obtain over-the-counter remedies to treat their everyday problems with joint disease even though not recommended by established medicine due to study results producing inconsistent findings. Millions of individuals turn to dietary supplements, because reports of health benefits abound in the consumer literature. The FDA reports people can make informed decisions about supplements by being perceptive consumers and using information wisely.

Joint supplements provide relief to continue activities of everyday life, but research indicates some products contain ineffective levels of active ingredients. Costs of the products vary from $0.88 to $2.30 a day. The main ingredients in the joint supplements found to build up cartilage, fight inflammation and lubricate the joint include glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid.

What does this mean?

A comparison of three products found two of the three products did not contain active ingredients shown to be effective in studies. A comprehensive analysis of current research indicated that arthritis suffers need glucosamine of 1500 mg and chondroitin of 1200 mg per day as shown in successful clinical trials. The clinical trial on hyaluronic acid documented a dose of 30 mg for efficacy. Reviewing three products showed: 1) Instaflex contained glucosamine 1250 mg, no chondroitin and hyaluronic acid 4 mg, 2) Triple Flex consisted of glucosamine 1500 mg, chondroitin 290 mg and hyaluronic acid 10 mg, and 3) Trigosamine incorporated glucosamine 1500 mg, chondroitin 1200 mg and hyaluronic acid 30 mg. Consequently, Trigosamine contained the three recommended dosages for the active ingredients of joint supplements.

The cost of the products for a month supply purchased online at amazon.com listed the Instaflex at $69.99, the Triple Flex at $26.50 and the Trigosamine at $27.70. The user of the supplement needs to weigh the effectiveness of the product in relation to the cost. Additionally, consumers must be awareness of hidden expenditure when ordering on line. Cost can occur because ordering Instaflex on the internet website directly with a 14-day free trial signs the consumer up for continuous mailing of the product and continuous charging of the credit card. The consumer needs to read the fine print that describes the ongoing supply of the product or a $74.98 charge appears monthly on the credit card.

The Take Home Message:

Being a knowledgeable patient can prevent you from succumbing to using costly products that may be less than helpful. Awareness of the information in the fine print prevents the consumer from unnecessary extra charges.

References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Arthritis, CDC.gov

Food and Drug Administration, Tips for the Savvy Supplement User. FDA.gov

Consumer Reports, Joint Supplements. ConsumerReports.org