← All supplements

Glucosamine

Supplement amino sugar bone & joint
Aka: glucosamine sulfate, glucosamine HCl
Brands seen in Singapore: Doctor's Best, Swanson Vitamins, Vitacost, Nutricost, NOW Foods
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Knee osteoarthritis pain — guidelines contradict each other
When to take
Daily
Studied for
The tolerability finding is for long-term use
Pros & cons
Pros
  • 15 RCTS: global pain fell vs placebo on the vas scale
  • Review found no serious adverse events or interactions
  • Aaos 2021: may help in mild-to-moderate knee oa
Cons
  • Acr/af and oarsi 2019 recommend against it for knee oa
  • Womac pain, stiffness and function gains: insufficient
  • NCCIH: may raise blood glucose in some people
Sources
  1. NCCIH — Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis: What You Need To Know (efficacy) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “studies have had inconsistent results, and expert evaluations of the evidence have reached conflicting conclusions. It's still uncertain whether glucosamine and chondroitin are helpful for knee osteoarthritis symptoms”
  2. NCCIH — Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis (ACR/AF 2019 guideline) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The guideline published by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Arthritis Foundation (AF) in 2019 strongly recommended against the use of glucosamine alone or in combination with chondroitin for knee osteoarthritis”
  3. NCCIH — Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis (OARSI 2019 guideline) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “a 2019 guideline from Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) strongly recommends against the use of glucosamine for knee osteoarthritis on the grounds of lack of efficacy”
  4. NCCIH — Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis (AAOS 2021 guideline) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “the 2021 guideline from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) includes glucosamine in a list of dietary supplements that may be helpful in reducing pain and improving function in patients with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis”
  5. NCCIH — Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis (prescription vs other formulations) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “those who used the prescription drug formulation of glucosamine generally had more favorable results … it could also be a result of bias. Most of the studies of the prescription drug formulation had a high risk of bias”
  6. NCCIH — Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis (safety: blood glucose and warfarin) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “glucosamine may cause increases in blood glucose (sugar) levels in some people, and glucosamine and chondroitin have been associated with an increased risk of bleeding in people who are taking the anticoagulant warfarin”
  7. NCCIH — Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis (safety: pregnancy and breastfeeding) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “No major safety problems have been identified in large studies of glucosamine and chondroitin for osteoarthritis … Little is known about the safety of using glucosamine and chondroitin during pregnancy or while breastfeeding”
  8. Effectiveness and safety of glucosamine in osteoarthritis: a systematic review (Vo et al., Pharmacy (Basel) 2023) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Global pain was significantly decreased in comparison to placebo, as measured by the VAS index … The WOMAC scale confirmed that pain, stiffness, and physical function had improved, however the effects were insufficient”
  9. Vo et al., Pharmacy (Basel) 2023 — safety and long-term regimen · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “there were no reports of serious medication interactions or significant adverse events … In long-term treatment, oral glucosamine sulfate 1500 mg/day is believed to be well tolerated”
  10. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev 001 (Oct 2025) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list [glucosamine not listed in Annex A or B]”
  11. iHerb Singapore — Bone, Joint & Cartilage > Glucosamine category (SG$ pricing, default order) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Doctor's Best, Glucosamine, 180 Capsules (750 mg per Capsule) … Swanson Vitamins, Glucosamine & Collagen Type II … Vitacost, Glucosamine Sulfate, 1,500 mg … Nutricost, Glucosamine Sulfate, 240 Capsules … NOW Foods, Glucosamine '1000'”
Report a correction View as JSON

Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.