Glucosamine and osteoporosis
As far as we know, there is no link between osteoporosis and glucosamin. Glucosamine is therefore not used to treat osteoporosis; it is used by patients suffering from a disease with quite a similar name – osteoarthritis. Osteo means bone in Latin, and both osteoporosis and osteoporosis are diseases that affect the bones. It is also true that both can lead to serious pain and immobility, and it is therefore important to visit a doctor and get a proper diagnosis before you use any medication or supplement to treat your bone pains. Since osteoarthritis and osteoarthritis are both diseases that tend to develop in elderly persons, it is quite common to suffer from both osteoarthritis and osteoarthritis simultaneously.

Glucosamin and osteoporosis: what is osteoporosis?
As mentioned above, there is no apparent link between osteoporosis and glucosamin and few medical experts suspect that we will ever find any direct connection between osteoporosis and glucosamin even if the subject is studied further. To understand why, we must take a closer look at the disease that is osteoporosis. In a person with osteoporosis, the bone mineral density has been reduced (i.e. became porous, hence the name osteo-porosis). Osteoporosis is also commonly associated with disrupted bone microarchitecture and a change in the amount and variety of non-collagenous proteins in the bones. These factors work together to greatly increase the risk of fractures.

Glucosamin and osteoporosis: what is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis causes damage to the surface of the joints in the body. Arthritis means joint damage and swelling, and there are many different types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis. Joints are found in the places of your body where bones meet, and most joints are designed to limit bone movement. You can for instance only bend your arm in one direction, and never move it sideways. To prevent wear and tear of the bones, bone ends are covered by a protective layer of cartilage. Glucosamine is necessary for the formation, maintenance and repair of this cartilage and that is why many individuals with osteoarthritis feel better when they start taking a daily dose of glucosamine. As you can see, there is an apparent link between glucosamine and osteoarthritis, but not between glucosamine and osteoporosis.