A new study published on May 14 in the British Medical Journal has found a surprising side-benefit of regularly taking the supplement glucosamine for osteoarthritis symptoms: Long-term usage also strengthens cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of heart attack death by 22 percent.
The prospective study of approximately 466,000 subjects showed that people who took glucosamine for an average of seven years had an 18 percent lower risk of heart disease; a 15 percent lower risk of heart attack or stroke; a 22 percent lower risk of heart attack death; and a 9 percent lower risk of stroke.
“Either side of this equation is a win-win for patients,” says board certified internist Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, a leading expert in treating chronic pain and fatigue. “Glucosamine is clearly one of the most effective non-pharmaceutical treatments to decrease heart attack and stroke risk safely and naturally, and the only side-effect is that it reduces or totally eliminates arthritis pain.”
“With major studies showing that arthritis medications cause 30,000 – 50,000 US deaths annually, it’s time to rethink how we treat pain,” explains Dr. Teitelbaum. “Offering benefits for one condition while creating side-effects that can kill you is not good medicine!”
“Although arthritis medications (NSAIDs) can be worthwhile when natural remedies are inadequate, simply using the natural remedies first for a six-week trial could save upwards of 70,000 US lives every year.” According to Dr. Teitelbaum, major studies have shown that glucosamine combined with chondroitin was essentially equivalent in effectiveness to Celebrex.
Other studies have shown that a combination of the botanicals curcumin and boswellia was even more effective than Celebrex for arthritis; and this herbal mix is also associated with significant cancer protection and other important health benefits.
“Botanicals have been used as medicine for centuries,” says Dr. Teitelbaum, “and now research suggests that they’re also the medicine of the future. Especially today, the public and physicians are desperate for safe alternatives to opioids for effective pain relief.”
Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, is the best-selling author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! (Avery), Pain-Free 1-2-3, The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution, Real Cause Real Cure, Diabetes Is Optional, and the Beat Sugar Addition NOW! series. He is the lead author of four groundbreaking research studies on effective treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and fibromyalgia using an integrative treatment approach called SHINE. His research on ribose, a unique 5-carbon sugar, showed an average 61 percent increase in energy at 3 weeks
