To get the best results, high-quality chondroitin needs to be used, say researchers, and taking 800 mg every day for six months will be just as effective as the NSAID (non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug) painkiller celecoxib, which is routinely prescribed for the condition.
The supplement matched the drug when it was given to 604 people suffering from osteoarthritis in the knee. The group was given the supplement, or 200 mg celecoxib, or a placebo or dummy drug for six months. Pain reduction was ‘significantly greater’ in those taking the supplement over those given the placebo, and it had the same benefits as the drug, say researchers from Liege State University in Belgium.
Chondroitin also doesn’t come with celecoxib’s side effects, which include stomach pains, swelling, dizziness and rash.
(Source: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, published online, May 22, 2017; http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-210860)
