Glucosamine is primarily known as supplement for supporting joint health; in Europe it’s even been approved as a drug for treating osteoarthritis. But researchers have found that people taking glucosamine supplements for their joints have been getting additional benefits they weren’t aware of—benefits to their hearts! Specifically a lower risk of cardiovascular disease events, coronary heart disease, stroke and death from heart disease.Although glucosamine is found in high concentrations in joints, it is a naturally occurring molecule found in almost all body tissues. It’s the first biochemical component of connective tissue and plays an important role in the non-muscular component of blood vessels and also in heart valves. It’s also found in the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. Throughout the body, glucosamine exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.Utilizing data from almost half a million participants in a large database in the United Kin…

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is the most common form of arthritis and a major cause of disability and pain. Yet not all sore knees indicate that you’re developing arthritis. How can you tell the difference?Researchers sought to answer this question by following a group of 5,000 men and women who had or were at high risk of developing knee OA for seven years, on average. The researchers determined that the very earliest sign of knee osteoarthritis showed up as knee pain while going up and down stairs. This symptom showed up even before x-rays showed any evidence of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a progressive disease, so without intervention, it progressed from pain on the stairs, to pain while walking, then in standing, and finally in sitting and lying in bed. No one wants to wind up being kept awake by pain when they’re trying to sleep, so what can you do if you find your knees hurting each time you walk up and down a flight of stairs?The good news is that there is a lot you can do…