I am not a girl who likes to take pills. Generally I put off taking any kind of medication if possible and it took me the longest time to get into the habit of taking a daily multivitamin.
Lately I have realized the importance of taking pills to supplement my (sometimes poor) diet. My vitamin habit has gotten better – I take a good multivitamin for active women every morning. But now I am planning on taking something else: glucosamine chondroitin.
Glucosamine Chondroitin is a dietary supplement for good joint health. My friend, Miss Health Obsessed, told me a few days ago that she has been taking it because she works out so much (she has been training for a half marathon so she runs miles every day). She said it is great for protecting the joints and keeping them healthy.
After we chatted about it I decided that I should definitely be taking it. I am not running as much as her, but I do workout quite a bit. And because I weigh more than I should, activity is harder on my joints. In the last couple of weeks my joints have been popping and cracking – which FREAKS me out. I am 22, not 62, so I wish they were not doing that. So this terrible new development of popping joints has made me want to take better care of my joints. Part of taking care of my joints is losing weight so they are not so stressed, and another part is taking the proper supplements to protect them.
Joint health is so important! If your joints don’t work, you don’t move. Years of repetitive motion (oh, running!) or injuries can damage the protective cartilage that acts as a cushion covering the ends of the bones. Aging lessens the body’s ability to produce some of the nutrients necessary for joint function and cartilage. Either of these things can cause pain, inflammation and reduced mobility that make life harder and less enjoyable.
This supplement I bought was Spring Valley’s Two Per Day Formula of Glucosamine Chondroitin PLUS Joint Lubricants that contains Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, and Hyaluronic Acid. The combination of these helps promote flexibility, mobility amd comfort.
The Glucosamine helps renew cartilage and joint tissue.
The MSM provides a natural form of sulfur that helps support fluid joint movement.
The Hyaluronic Acid it contains declines with age and is critical to maintaining joint strength, cushioning, and structural integrity.
Does anyone else take this or something similar? Am I taking the right supplement? Any doctors want to weigh in with some expert advice?
I started taking it today and I am glad I finally am starting to take care of my body properly. I really don’t want it to fall apart in the next five years. Hopefully it will last a long time if I take better care of it!
You might want to be careful Glucosamine to soon. The longer you take it the less it works. A friend of mine has really bad knees but he won’t take it because he wants to be able to take it when he gets older.
waves hand.
husband and both dogs took/take glucosamine.
(one dog is no longer with us or he’d still be on it :))
hubby swears by it!
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I’m always a little weary of taking supplements other than my multi-vitamin. It’s so hard to know what the long term effects will be.
I think I’m going to do some more research before I start taking glucosamine, even though I’m sure I could benefit from it. My joints take a pounding when I workout.
Let us know if you notice any side effects.
Steve
I take a 1500mg Glucosamine tablet, a mutli-vitamin and a magnesium supplement each morning.
I’ve taken Glucosamine for five years or so, I think it has helped me greatly. My doctor told me in his opinion everyone should take it, irrespective of whether they need it, as it does not have any negative effects (except if you have any shellfish allergies).
I have not heard that it’s effects get lesser over time as mentioned above.
Rosie: I hadn’t heard anything about that. I will have to look into whether or not it stops working over time. Hmmmm.
Steve: I am usually weary of taking other things too. But I really felt like my joints were telling me they hated me too much to ignore it. I will let you guys know if there are any side effects but I don’t think there will be.
Andrew: Great comment! Hehe. Im glad to hear your doctor thinks everyone should take it. I am going to look into whether or not its effects are lessened over time.
I don’t buy what you just said.
If you dog has trouble getting up and falls behind when walking it is often because of joint pain, as with humans it is an aging problem, fortuntely there’s natural homeopathic relief available….