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| From Consumer Reports, January 2002 |
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WHAT THE PILLS CONTAIN
Our tests of 19 products containing glucosamine, chondroitin, or both found that most products came reasonably close to supplying the labeled amount of key ingredients. But several either contained less than the daily dose used in the successful clinical trials. |
INADEQUATE PILLS
Three products - ArthxDS Glucosamine Chondroitin, Solgar Extra Strength Glucosamine Chondroitin Complex,and Now Chondroitin Sulfate supplied less than 90 percent of the labeled amount of chondroitin salt per pill. (That percentage is the proposed new standard for those supplements) A fourth product, Now Double Strength Glucosamine & Chondroitin failed to meet the proposed standards for both ingredients. |
INADEQUATE LABELS
While the optimal daily doses of those ingredients have not been determined, the successful clinical trials have generally used the same amounts: 1500 milligrams of glucosamine salt and 1200 milligrams of chondroitin salt. Most of the labels recommended those daily doses, but two products, Solgar Extra Strength Glucosamine Chondroitin Complex and Twinlab CSA (Chondroitin Sulfate) recommended too few pills to approach those doses. |
| In addition, many products listed the number of pills per day as a range. Four products, GNC Glucosamine/Chondroitin, CosaminDS Double Strength, Spring Valley Glucosamine Complex, and Now Chondroitin Sulfate were most problematic. |
RECOMMENDATIONS
Consult the table and choose the least expensive brand you can find, preferably a combination product that meets the 90% standard. Also, take enough pills to get the clinical trial doses described here. |
| PRODUCT (IN ORDER OF COST) | PILLS/BOTTLE | % OF LABELED AMOUNT (1) | PILLS/DAY | COST/DAY (1) |
| Glucosamine Salt | Chondroitin Salt | Label Dose | Clinical Trial Dose |
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| Glucosamine and Chondroitin Tablets (except where footnoted) |
| Puritan's Pride Maximum Strength Glucosamine Chondroitin (2) | 60 | 120% | 90% | 3 | 3 | $0.45 |
| Spring Valley Glucosamine Chondroitin Double Strength (Wal-Mart) | 60 | 100% | 95% | 3 | 3 | $0.55 |
| The Vitamin Shoppe Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate | 120 | 95% | 90% | 3 | 3 | $0.65 |
| GNC Glucosamine/Chondroitin | 60 | 95% | 90% | 1 - 3* | 3 | $0.85 |
| Schiff Move Free Glucosamine Complex 500 mg Chondroitin Sulfate 400 mg | 60 | 100% | 90% | 3 | 3 | $0.85 |
| CVS Maximum Strength Glucosamine Chondroitin | 60 | 100% | 90% | 3 | 3 | $0.95 |
| Flexagen Glucosamine & Chondroitin (3) | 50 | 115% | 120% | 3 | 3 | $1.10 |
| CosaminDS Double Strength (4) | 108 | 100% | 95% | 3 - 1*(5) | 3 | $1.25 |
| Sundown Osteo B-Flex Double Strength Glucosamine Chondroitin (3) | 50 | 95% | 95% | 3 | 3 | $1.25 |
| Now Double Strength Glucosamine & Chondroitin | 60 | 75% | 80% | 2 (6) | 3 | $1.05 |
| ArthxDS Glucosamine Chondroitin (2) | 60 | 95% | 85% | 2 - 4 | 3 | $1.25 |
| Solgar Extra Strength Glucosamine Chondroitin Complex | 60 | 100% | 85% | 2** | 3 (7) | $1.65 |
| Glucosamine Tablets |
| Spring Valley Glucosamine Complex (Wal-Mart) | 60 | 100% |
| 1 - 3* | 3 | $0.30 |
| Schiff Glucosamine 1000 | 60 | 95% |
| 2 | 2 | $0.50 |
| Sundown Glucosamine Complex with Vitamin C and Minerals | 60 | 95% |
| 3 | 3 | $0.50 |
| Aflexa Glucosamine | 50 | 135% |
| 3 | 3 | $0.70 |
| Chondroitin Capsules |
| Twinlab CSA (Chondroitin Sulfate) | 120 |
| 90% | 1** | 5 | $1.10 |
| GNC Chondroitin Sulfate 400 | 60 |
| 90% | 2 - 4 | 3 | $1.35 |
| Now Chondroitin Sulfate | 60 |
| 80% | 1 - 3* | 3 | $0.85 |
| * Label range likely to permit dose that may be inadequate |
| ** Label recommends too few pills to approach clinical trial dose, even if pills contain the full labeled amount |
| 1. Rounded to nearest 5 (percent or cents) |
| 2. Available only by mail order (1-800-645-1030) or at www.puritan.com |
| 3. Caplets |
| 4. Capsules |
| 5. Label recommends starting with three pills, the tapering off to one |
| 6. According to label, two pills should supply the clinical trial dose, but pills contain less than the labeled amount |
| 7. Two pills contain 20mg of added manganese, and three pills contain 30mg, studies have not determined whether these amounts are safe; a new reformulated version will contain much less manganese |
THE TESTS BEHIND THE TABLE
We (Consumer Reports) commissioned two laboratories that specialize in testing nutritional supplements to analyze these products. Glucosamine Salt tells the percent of glucosamine salt (glucosamine plus a sulfate or hydrochloride molecule) that our tests found per pill, compared with the labeled amount. The tests determined the amounts of glucosamine alone; the salt values were calculated from those amounts. We list the salt rather than the glucosamine alone for several reasons: the clinical trial doses were based on the salt, the labels list the salt amount, and it is unknown whether the benefits vary with the dose of glucosamine alone. |
| Chondroitin Salt tells the percent of that salt (chondroitin plus sulfate) that our tests found per pill, compared with the labeled amount. Label Dose gives the number of pills per day recommended on the label. Clinical Trial Dose tells the number of pills needed to obtain close to the daily dose used in the successful trials. Cost per Day, based on the approximate retail prices of the bottles we bought, gives the daily cost of the number of pills needed to supply an amount close to the clinical trial dose. |
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