SUPPLEMENT SUCCESS

Glucosamine supplements may reduce overall mortality about as well as regular exercise does, according to a new study from West Virginia University. “Does this mean that if you get off work at five o’clock one day, you should just skip the gym, take a glucosamine pill and go home instead?” says lead researcher, Professor Dana King. “That’s not what we suggest. Keep exercising, but the thought that taking a pill would also be beneficial is intriguing.” After controlling for various factors – such as participants’ age, sex, smoking status and activity level – the researchers found that taking glucosamine/chondroitin every day for a year or longer was associated with a 39 per cent reduction in all-cause mortality. Glucosamine is a structural component of cartilage, the tissue that cushions the joints.