Chondroitin Sulfate 600 mg - 60 Caps Chondroitin sulfate is a sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) composed of a chain of alternating sugars (N-acetylgalactosamine and glucuronic acid). It is usually found attached to proteins as part of a proteoglycan. A chondroitin chain can have over 100 individual sugars, each of which can be sulfated in variable positions and quantities. Understanding the functions of such diversity in chondroitin sulfate and related glycosaminoglycans is a major goal of glycobiology. Chondroitin sulfate is an important structural component of cartilage and provides much of its resistance to compression. Along with glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate has become a widely used dietary supplement for treatment of osteoarthritis.

Serving Size: 2 Capsules

Servings Per Container: 30

Suggested Usage: As a dietary supplement, take 2 capsules 1 to 3 times daily, with meals or on an empty stomach. Consider taking this product in combination with NOW® Glucosamine, Celadrin® and D-Flame™. Other Ingredients: Rice Flour, Gelatin (capsule) and Magnesium Stearate (vegetable source).

Contains no: sugar, salt, yeast, wheat, gluten, corn, soy, milk, egg, shellfish or preservatives.

Caution: Do Not Eat Freshness Packet. Keep in Bottle.

Disclaimers: *These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Store in a cool, dry place. Please Recycle.

Product Facts Serving Size: 2 Capsules Servings Per Container: 30

Sodium: 4% 110 mg Chondroitin Sodium Sulfate (from Bovine Cartilage): † 1.2 g (1,200 mg)



Medical use

Chondroitin is an ingredient found commonly in dietary supplements used as an alternative medicine to treat osteoarthritis. It is commonly sold together with glucosamine.

[edit] Pharmacology

The dosage of oral chondroitin used in human clinical trials is 800–1,200 mg per day. Most chondroitin appears to be made from extracts of cartilaginous cow and pig tissues (cow trachea and pig ear and nose), but other sources such as shark, fish and bird cartilage are also used. Since chondroitin is not a uniform substance, and is naturally present in a wide variety of forms, the precise composition of each supplement will vary.[4] While it is a prescription or over-the-counter drug in 22 countries, chondroitin is regulated in the U.S. as a dietary supplement[1] by the Food and Drug Administration. As a result, there are no mandatory standards for formulation, and no guarantee that the product is correctly labelled. Adebowale et al. reported in 2000 that of 32 chondroitin supplements they analysed, only 5 were labeled correctly, and more than half contained less than 40% of the labeled amount.[6] However, United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) testing standards now exist for the identification and quantification of chondroitin.

Clinical studies have not identified any significant side effects or overdoses of chondroitin sulfate.

[edit] Clinical trials

Due to the popularity of the glucosamine-chondroitin supplement and the lack of reliable information about its usefulness in treating osteoarthritis,[7] the National Institutes of Health funded a study to test the effects of chondroitin and glucosamine on osteoarthritis of the knee. This multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind, six month long trial found that glucosamine plus chondroitin had no statistically significant effect on symptoms of osteoarthritis.[8] The control group of patients who took celecoxib (a commonly used osteoarthritis drug) did have a statistically significant improvement in their symptoms. These results indicate that glucosamine and chondroitin do not effectively relieve osteoarthiritic pain. Although the study found no overall effect for the supplements, a secondary analysis of a subgroup of patients suggested that the supplements taken together helped people with more severe pain.

Studies in animals, in interesting contrast, have shown significant improvement.