Q. By fortunate coincidence, my total cholesterol was measured when I applied for an insurance policy one day before I started taking glucosamine and chondroitin for joint pain.
I had a checkup a month later and my cholesterol was measured again. The first reading was 195. The second was 319.
I immediately stopped the supplements and two weeks later my cholesterol had dropped to 225. After another few weeks it was back down to 205.
I am in good health except for my arthritic knees. I have avoided glucosamine and chondroitin since this experiment. Is there another supplement that might be helpful?
A. We have heard from many readers that the popular arthritis combination supplement glucosamine and chondroitin can raise cholesterol. Studies of glucosamine sulfate have not shown this reaction, however (Open Rheumatology Journal, online Nov. 29, 2011).
Do Glucosamine and Chondroitin Ease Arthritis Pain?
Even the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin for alleviating joint pain has been called into question. Several well-conducted clinical trials have not shown that this combination works better than placebo for arthritic knee discomfort.
The latest is a four-year follow-up of the Osteoarthritis Initiative that found no symptomatic benefit among people taking glucosamine with chondroitin (Arthritis and Rheumatology, online Nov. 4, 2014). The authors concluded:
“Use of glucosamine/chondroitin did not appear to relieve symptoms or modify disease progression among patients with radiographically confirmed OA [osteoarthritis]. Our findings, which are consistent with meta-analyses of clinical trials, extend the results to a more general population with knee OA.”
There are several other home remedies that could provide relief, including pomegranate juice, tart cherry juice or Certo and grape juice. The plant pectin in Certo can lower cholesterol as well as help ease painful knees.
You will find the details for these remedies and more in our Guide to Alternatives for Arthritis.
