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N-acetylglucosamine

N-acetyl glucosamine is a chemical that comes from the outer shell of shellfish. N-acetyl glucosamine should not be confused with other forms of glucosamine such as glucosamine hydrochloride or glucosamine sulphate, as these forms of glucosamine do not have the same effects. You should read the label of glucosamine products carefully. Most glucosamine products contain glucosamine hydrochloride or glucosamine sulphate. Although glucosamine hydrochloride and glucosamine sulfate are sold together with N-acetyl glucosamine in combination products, there are no human studies that have evaluated these combinations in the treatment of osteoarthritis in humans. Chitosan is also found as an ingredient in some glucosamine products. Chitosan is a form of N-acetyl glucosamine that has been chemically modified.

N-acetylglucosamine is used for osteoarthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

How does N-Acetyl Glucosamine work?

N-Acetyl Glucosamine may help to protect the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines.

How effective is N-acetyl glucosamine?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of N-acetyl glucosamine in inflammatory bowel disease. There is early evidence that oral N-acetyl glucosamine may reduce the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease in children suffering from Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. There is also insufficient scientific information on the effectiveness of N-acetyl glucosamine in osteoarthritis. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of N-acetyl glucosamine in these applications.

Safety and side effects

There is not enough information to say whether N-acetyl glucosamine is safe and harmless. There are concerns that glucosamine products may cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to crustaceans. Glucosamine is made from the shells of crabs, lobsters and shrimps. However, allergic reactions in people who suffer from allergies to crustaceans are caused by the meat of crustaceans and not by the shell. There are no reports of allergic reactions to glucosamine in people who are allergic to crustaceans. There is also some information that people who suffer from allergies to shellfish can use glucosamine products without risk. There are concerns that glucosamine may increase the amount of insulin in the body. Too much insulin could lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. While studies conducted with animals seem to confirm that glucosamine can increase cholesterol levels, this effect has not been observed in humans. In fact, studies show that glucosamine does not appear to increase blood pressure and cholesterol levels in people over the age of 45 who have taken glucosamine sulfate for up to 3 years.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of N-acetyl-glucosamine during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid N-acetyl-glucosamine.

Asthma: Although scientists are not sure why this is the case, glucosamine may aggravate asthma in some people. For this reason, glucosamine should be used with caution if you suffer from asthma.

Diabetes: Some early research suggests that glucosamine may increase blood sugar levels in diabetics. However, more reliable research suggests that glucosamine does not appear to significantly affect blood sugar control in people suffering from type II diabetes. As long as blood sugar levels are controlled regularly, diabetics can probably use glucosamine safely.

Operations: N-acetyl-glucosamine could affect blood sugar levels and interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. For this reason, you should stop taking N-acetyl-glucosamine two weeks before upcoming operations.

Interactions

N-acetyl glucosamine should not be used in combination with the following medications:

Care should be taken when combining N-acetyl glucosamine with the following medications:

Anti-cancer drugs

There are concerns that N-acetyl glucosamine may reduce the effectiveness of some anti-cancer drugs. However, it is too early to know if this interaction actually occurs.

Diabetes medications

There are concerns that glucosamine may increase blood sugar levels in diabetics. There are also concerns that glucosamine may reduce the effectiveness of diabetes medications. However, current research suggests that glucosamine is unlikely to increase blood glucose levels in diabetics. For this reason, glucosamine is unlikely to interfere with the effectiveness of diabetes medications. For safety reasons, diabetics should carefully monitor their blood glucose levels when using glucosamine.

Care should be taken when combining N-acetyl glucosamine with the following medications:

Acetaminophen

There are concerns that glucosamine and acetaminophen may interfere with each other when taken in combination. However, more information is needed to assess whether this interaction is a cause for concern.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of N-acetyl-glucosamine depends on various factors such as age, health status and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to determine appropriate dosage ranges for N-acetyl-glucosamine. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

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