Home > Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine > Glucosamine

Description

Glucosamine is an amino sugar that occurs naturally in the body. This one-molecule substance consists of glucose and a hydrogen and nitrogen amine. Amino sugars are different from other body sugars, as they form part of carbohydrates. Their function is also different as they are not a source of energy, but rather are included in body tissue structure. Therefore, glucosamine plays a role in forming and maintaining the body's tissues—for example, constructing nails, skin, eyes, bones, ligaments, tendons, heart valves, discharging mucus from the respiratory system, digestive system, and urinary tract. Glucosamine helps blend sulfur into the cartilage. When people grow older, their bodies may lose the capacity to make enough glucosamine, so the cartilage in such weight-bearing joints as the hips, knees, and hands is destroyed. The remaining...