II. Indications
- Osteoarthritis (not recommended)
III. Mechanism
- Endogenous glycosaminoglycan contained in joint matrix
IV. Efficacy: Does not appear effective for Osteoarthritis
- Effect requires at least one month of therapy
- Recent large studies suggest that Chondroitin is not effective
- Initially appeared more effective than Placebo at relieving pain
- Adding Chondroitin to Glucosamine does not offer significant benefit
- References
V. Source
- Animal sources such as shark and cow cartilage
- Theoretical risk of animal disease contamination
VI. Dosing
- Chondroitin 400 mg orally three time daily
VII. Adverse Effects
- Well tolerated
- Gastrointestinal upset