Is glucosamine sulphate good for joints?

Glucosamine sulphate supplements are recommended by some GPs in the UK for people who have osteoarthritis, a condition that affects the joints. This is because there is some evidence that glucosamine sulphate can help reduce inflammation and pain, and help with joint movement.

This particular type of glucosamine is recommended because this is the kind that has been used in more than 90% of studies investigating the effect of glucosamine on osteoarthritis. Some people think that glucosamine sulphate can also help prevent osteoarthritis, but at the moment there isn't reliable evidence to support this.

Some people believe that taking glucosamine sulphate supplements will help their joints when they're exercising. However, even though there have been claims that glucosamine sulphate can help reduce the pain of injury, there is little evidence to support this for people who don't have osteoarthritis.

If you're taking part in a sport or another type of physical exercise, it's a good idea to ask a qualified sports-training professional about how you can exercise in a safe way that will help prevent injury and soreness.

Will cod liver oil protect me from osteoarthritis?

For osteoarthritis, prevention is key. The best thing you can do is maintain a healthy weight by eating a varied and balanced diet and keeping physically active. The aim should be to eat a diet that is rich in starchy foods, such as wholegrain rice and bread, and moderate amounts of meat and dairy products, with at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.

It is also important to eat two portions of fish a week. One of these should be oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel or sardines. This may help people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis because the fats found in oily fish may have an anti-inflammatory effect.

When someone has osteoarthritis, the smooth cartilage that takes the strain in a normal joint becomes rough, brittle and weak. To make up for this, the bone beneath thickens and spreads out, forming knobbly outgrowths. This causes stiffness and pain.

This form of arthritis is most common in older people and is very rare in people under the age of 40. Women are more likely to suffer from it than men, and people who are overweight or obese are more at risk from the disease, especially in their knees. Joints that have suffered injury are also more susceptible to osteoarthritis.

There has been research into the use of fish oil supplements in treating various forms of arthritis, although the focus is generally on rheumatoid arthritis as opposed to osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by the body's immune system attacking the joints and causing inflammation.

Fats are involved in this inflammation and it is thought that those found in fish can affect the process and help reduce inflammation. Some studies testing this theory on people with rheumatoid arthritis have shown benefits, while other studies have shown no benefit at all. Research is continuing.

Some research suggests that having more than an average of 1.5mg per day of vitamin A over many years may affect our bones and make them more likely to fracture when we're older. This is in addition to the risk of osteoporosis that older people, particularly women, face.

Fish liver oil supplements (as well as many multivitamins) are high in vitamin A. So if you take supplements containing vitamin A, make sure you don't have more than a total of 1.5mg per day from your food and supplements. If you eat liver or liver products such as pâtè every week, you should avoid taking any supplements that contain vitamin A, because liver is very rich in vitamin A.

Women who have been through the menopause and older men, who are more at risk of osteoporosis, should avoid eating liver or liver products more than once a week, or eat only small portions of liver. People at risk of osteoporosis who eat liver or liver products such as pâtè every week, should also avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A, and this includes fish liver oils.

So if you want to take a fish supplement, you might want to choose to take fish oil supplements rather than cod liver oil or other fish liver oil supplements.