Glucosamine & Chondroitin vs Arthritis

Q. I have had rather severe arthritis for just over a year and have made considerable progress in recent months.  I have added MSM, prednisone (3 mg cut back to 2), and Certo in a glass of grape juice…along with long term use of glucosamine and condroitin.  Which of  these do you consider to be least useful?

And, is Certo a relative of gelatin, which is available in tablet or capsule form, and easier to handle?

My gut feeling is that MSM has  done the most for me, but I need to know how this compares with others’ experience. 

A. We know that many people report benefit from glucosamine and chondroitin, but the research just does not demonstrate much benefit. Some people even report that it raises their cholesterol levels. So, if we had to drop one thing, it would probably be the glucosamine and chondroitin formula. We know this is controversial and here is a link to discussion on this topic.
The science behind MSM is not that great, but we do hear from people who report benefit from with mehtylsulfonylmethane. One even reported that it helped stop her hair from falling out. Others report that MSM is good for strengthening nails.
If you would like to learn more about dealing with arthritis naturally so you might eventually be able to get off prednisone completely, we offer two books with lots of practical information:
The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies
and
Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy.
Hope the suggestions to use gin-soaked raisins, foods like ginger, pomegranate, boswellia, turmeric, cayenne, cherry juice, honey and vinegar, fish oil and pineapple juice will be helpful.
Certo is not gelatin, but rather plant pectin. We have never seen plant pectin in pill form. There are powdered pectins, but we prefer the Certo brand mixed with either cherry juice, grape juice (purple) or pomegranate juice.