Glucosamine

Glucosamine sulfate · Glucosamine hydrochloride

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Knee osteoarthritis¹ Joint pain² Knee OA joint space narrowing¹ Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis³	Pregnancy or breastfeeding⁴ Liver disease⁵ Warfarin therapy⁶

Glucosamine is an amino sugar found in cartilage and joint fluid, sold as a supplement and often paired with chondroitin sulfate⁵. It is taken to support cartilage synthesis and temper joint inflammation⁵, chiefly for osteoarthritis and joint pain and, with few trials, temporomandibular joint disorders.

An individual patient data meta-analysis found glucosamine no better than placebo for pain or function, though results differ by brand. A 2022 review found that lower mortality and cancer rates in observational studies of glucosamine users can arise from selection bias; no randomized trial has tested them. Products listing glucosamine are marketed as sulfate or hydrochloride, mostly capsules and tablets; see Form comparison.

LiverTox rates glucosamine a possible rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury, typically hepatocellular and arising within weeks of starting⁷. A cancer-center herb monograph reports raised international normalized ratio (INR) with warfarin and asks patients on blood thinners to talk with their healthcare provider first⁵.

Last updated October 15, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

79 sources, 63 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources