Glucosamine Supplements OK for Diabetics
(NY, Reuters Health, 7/21/03)

Concern about possible side effects of glucosamine had been raised because animal studies have shown that it can elevate blood glucose levels; but when Dr. Daren Scroggie of Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and team, monitored the effects of glucosamine supplements on 34 older, diabetic patients, the researchers found that it had no effect on glucose control. The investigators believe that the results of the animal studies were skewed because the subjects were given such large doses of the substance, ranging from about 3,000 to 435,000 milligrams. In contrast, the typical daily dose in humans is about 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, or 1800 milligrams for a 200-pound man. The scientists believe that, in fact, glucosamine may be a safer alternative to the NSAIDS currently being prescribed.