Glucosamine and Chondroitin Supplements May be Falsely Advertised

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), glucosamine and chondroitin supplements are ill-advised as pain management solutions for those suffering from osteoarthritis (OA).

While the supplements are very popular to take for their purported benefits for joint health, glucosamine and chondroitin are not proven to be any more effective than a placebo, according to studies referenced in an article by the Arthritis Foundation, in dialing back either progressive joint damage or pain levels in OA patients.

What are Glucosamine and Chondroitin?

According to the article, glucosamine is a natural component of healthy cartilage and is also found in high concentrations in the fluid surrounding joints. Glucosamine is typically derived from shellfish shells.

Some cartilage regeneration and anti-inflammatory properties have been identified in laboratory testing of glucosamine, but consumers claim that health benefits like these are exaggerated in supplement advertising.

Chondroitin is made by the human body in a natural process and is a significant part of joint cartilage that helps it hold onto water. As a supplement ingredient it can be harvested in the natural world from the cartilage of farm animals such as cows and pigs or from sharks.

While in the U.S. glucosamine and chondroitin are combined together in supplements, chondroitin sulfate is actually often prescribed as a treatment for OA in some European countries by itself.

The report acknowledges that chondroitin treatment compared with placebo treatment had some effect on pain management as patients took less non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) while taking it.

Are Glucosamine and Chondroitin Supplements Falsely Advertised?

As early as 2013, glucosamine and chondroitin supplement lawsuits have been filed that allege the manufacturers of this product grossly exaggerate the benefits and provide misleading if not entirely false information. The plaintiffs involved in the associated lawsuits cite several scientific studies that they say demonstrate a lack of supplement effectiveness.

According to several lawsuit narratives, there is a published review of up to 25 glucosamine and chondroitin studies with a total of 3,458 participants. The scientists involved in this review came to the conclusion that, for the most part, the combined supplement does little to nothing to improve joint function or pain in an OA sufferer or prevent deterioration of joints in a reasonably healthy person.

Anecdotal evidence is also cited in the body of these lawsuits from two studies with a smaller group of participants. One is a National Institutes of Health study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2006. Researchers reported that of 1,583 people examined with OA diagnoses of the knee, pain was not found to be relieved significantly with this supplementation.

The second study examined a similar amount of people evaluating them over a four-year period ending in 2015. The scientific conclusion was that pain control was elusive if non-existent with glucosamine and chondroitin supplementation.

Join a Free Glucosamine Chondroitin Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you purchased a glucosamine or chondroitin product after seeing the joint health claims made about the product’s effectiveness, you may qualify to file or join a false advertising class action lawsuit.

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