Why after taking Glucosamine and Chondroitin the blood sugar level will increase?

The other day, my mom called to seek my advise. She told me that her blood glucose was high and asked me what to do. Without a second thought, I asked her, how many tablets did you take? “I followed the doctor’s instruction, to take the tablets 3 times a day”, she replied. “Can I ask you to stop taking them because it is causing your blood sugar level to go high? Btw, have you noticed any thing wrong with you?” 

“I did not notice any changes in my body except today when I met your aunty, she told me that I had lost a lot of weight!”.
My mother’s left knee was swollen and in pain for weeks after she came back from her trip to China. The doctor prescribed some NSAID (pain killer) and Glucosamine (formation and repair of cartilage). She could not take the NSAID as it had caused her stomach to feel uncomfortable, so, she continued with the Glucosamine. A shortage of cartilage was what the doctor suspected to have caused her joint to be painful.

Glucosamine, which is an amino sugar that help to promote the formation and repair of cartilage. Glucosamine is derived from marine exoskeletons or is manufactured synthetically. It is also an important building block of many glycosaminoglycans, which are molecules that form the matrix of cartilage. Glucosamine is believed to stimulate the metabolism of chondrocytes in articular cartilage and of synovial cells in synovial tissue. As according to Kala Health in Australia, Glucosamine can increase fasting blood sugar levels and worsen glucose tolerance. This is because glucosamine activates a metabolic pathway in the body, called the hexosamine pathway, to cause insulin-producing cells in the pancreas to deteriorate and causes insulin resistance. This sounds like the factors associated with diabetes. Isn’t it?

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have also found that activation of this pathway causes proteins to be coated in sugar, hence insulin is unable to regulate the blood glucose.This side effect has not been officially published and researchers claimed that it may affect only certain people. Until then, people taking Glucosamine sulfate should have their blood glucose monitored closely.

Another important point to note: Glucosamine has been used in combination with Chondroitin. Chondroitin sulfate is manufactured from shark or bovine cartilage and is taken orally for the treatment of OA. It is usually used in combination with other compounds, such as manganese ascorbate, glucosamine sulfate or glucosamine hydrochloride Chondroitin sulfate is manufactured from shark or bovine cartilage and is taken orally for the treatment of OA. It is available alone or in combination with other compounds, such as manganese ascorbate, glucosamine sulfate, or glucosamine hydrochloride.

Chondroitin protects cartilage from breakdown and also stimulates the synthesis of new cartilage, important for healthy joints.  It attracts fluid into the cartilage and with this fluid, cartilage would become nourished, and stimulates the synthesis of new cartilage.Users of Chondroitin must be warned that if they experience asthma exacerbation and gastrointestinal discomfort stop taking it and consult your doctor immediately.

In Chinese Medicine, medicine that is derived from marine exoskeletons is “cold” in nature. Long term use of such medicine will reduce the absorption of nutrients by the stomach. Usually, users will complain about the lost of appetite and feeling weak.

My experiences have shown that by strengthening the stomach, improve the absorption of nutrient, and to increase the heart’s yang to improve the blood circulation can be used to control drug induced diabetes. Of course, there are theories about harmonizing the three burners and preventing blood stasis which can also be adopted to help to achieve equilibrium in the body (Yin and Yang balanced) as well.

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