If I have joint problems, will taking glucosamine help? Is the MSM in glucosamine toxic? Is it banned?

Rumor: "MSM in Glucosamine is banned and cannot be consumed"

Glucosamine contains a banned ingredient called MSM, which should not be consumed. It puts a heavy burden on the liver, damages the gastric mucosa, and causes nausea, vomiting, and other problems.

Rumor analysis: Not true.

Some aminoglucose products contain MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) and other ingredients. Studies have shown that MSM has a good anti-inflammatory effect. At present, it is not a banned ingredient in my country or internationally. In fact, MSM is a natural substance that exists in nature and in the human body. There is currently no research to prove that normal intake of MSM is harmful to the human body.

Many people said that their parents’ legs and feet became less flexible as they aged, and they often lamented that “as people get older, their legs become less and less useful, and they start to hurt after just two steps”, especially the knee joints. They always feel that they cannot exert strength, and their knees hurt after walking for a while. The pain is even worse when going up and down stairs, and they can basically not lift heavy objects.

This makes many children very worried and want to help alleviate the problem. In recent years, many people have bought some health foods that promote joint health for their parents and elderly. In the past two years, the most popular product is "glucosamine".

Recently, some people on the Internet said that there is a banned ingredient called MSM in glucosamine and it should not be eaten. Some even said that it will put a heavy burden on the liver, damage the gastric mucosa, and cause nausea and vomiting.

Rumors circulating online about "MSM being banned"

What are glucosamine and MSM? Are they useful or harmful? Let's explain it to you all at once.

What are Glucosamine and MSM?

Glucosamine, the full name of which is glucosamine, is the most common monosaccharide in the human body and is found in high concentrations in human joint cartilage. Some glucosamine products contain other ingredients such as MSM.

MSM, also known as methylsulfonylmethane, is also called dimethyl sulfone, sulfonylmethane, etc. Some studies have found that MSM has a good anti-inflammatory effect. Inflammation is the cause of many health problems, including arthritis, allergies, etc. Therefore, some businesses use it in some health foods that promote joint health.

MSM chemical formula丨wiki

Is MSM safe?

In general, MSM is not something new and its safety is guaranteed.

MSM is a naturally occurring substance that is widely found in the air, water, and soil around us. It is part of the earth's entire sulfur cycle and enters animals and plants through the earth's ecological cycle system. For example, MSM is found in many vegetables, fruits, and grains. MSM is also found in various organs of the human body, and it is not unfamiliar to our bodies.

In 2007, the US FDA evaluated the safety of MSM and eventually listed it as a GRAS substance, which means "generally recognized as safe" and can be used in various foods according to production needs. The GRAS-related documents also pointed out that it is no problem for humans to consume 4845.6 mg per day.

Therefore, the safety of MSM is guaranteed. There is insufficient evidence to support the claims that it puts a heavy burden on the liver, damages the gastric mucosa, causes nausea and vomiting, and abdominal discomfort. There is no need to worry about these problems if you consume it normally.

Is it true that MSM is banned?

There are also claims online that MSM is a banned ingredient and cannot be used in glucosamine. In fact, this claim is unfounded.

Many countries and regions allow MSM to be used in health foods or dietary supplements, such as the United States, the European Union, Canada, South Korea, etc.

MSM is not included in my country's "List of Prohibited Items in Health Foods" and "List of Substances that May be Illegally Added in Health Foods". Therefore, there is no basis for saying "MSM is prohibited".

If I have joint problems, should I take health supplements such as glucosamine?

As people age, the cartilage in their joints will slowly wear away, causing discomfort such as joint pain and swelling. At present, from 1990 to 2017, the number of patients with osteoarthritis in my country has increased from 26.1 million to 61.2 million. Due to joint pain, limb disability and functional impairment, the quality of life of more and more middle-aged and elderly people in their later years is seriously affected, bringing a huge disease burden to individuals, families and society.

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However, should we take joint health supplements such as glucosamine?

1. Is glucosamine really effective?

A 2018 meta-analysis distinguished between glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine, and the results showed that glucosamine sulfate was more effective in improving arthritis pain, function, and delaying disease progression, while the effect of glucosamine was still controversial. The European Society for Clinical and Economic Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO) also recommends crystalline glucosamine sulfate as a long-term basic treatment for knee osteoarthritis.

my country's "Expert Consensus on Clinical Drug Treatment of Osteoarthritis" points out that glucosamine is not effective for end-stage osteoarthritis (OA) with severe wear of articular cartilage; the clinical efficacy of glucosamine for osteoarthritis is still controversial. It can be used selectively for symptomatic mild patients, and glucosamine sulfate has less gastrointestinal irritation and is easier to absorb.

In general, if you have mild arthritis pain and discomfort, you can take glucosamine appropriately. If you want to take it, it is recommended to give priority to glucosamine sulfate. However, if it is end-stage osteoarthritis with severe wear of joint cartilage and severe joint pain, taking glucosamine may not be helpful, and you still need to follow the doctor's advice for treatment in time.

2. Health products are not medicines. Don’t be superstitious about them.

Whether it is yourself or the elderly at home, if you often feel joint pain, stiffness of the joints, difficulty in movement, or even swelling and foreign body sensation, you must go to a regular hospital for examination in time to find out the cause and follow the doctor's advice for symptomatic treatment. Take medicine when you need to take medicine, and do rehabilitation treatment when you need to do rehabilitation treatment. Health products are not equal to medicines. Don't blindly believe in health foods and delay the disease. For normal people (especially young people), don't follow the trend if you don't have joint discomfort, leg and foot pain, etc.

3. Which groups of people can consider joint health foods?

(1) Young people who sit for long periods of time at work. Because they do not exercise enough, their muscles are not trained enough, and their leg strength is weak, they will put more weight on their joints. In addition, long-term inactivity will reduce the secretion of synovial fluid in the joint cavity, accelerating knee wear.

(2) Young people who exercise a lot for a long time. Because of the heavy workload, the bones and joints are under greater load, so they need to pay attention to the maintenance of their joints.

(3) Elderly people who do have bone and joint problems. Common "joint health" health foods include glucosamine, thiamine chondroitin, etc. If conditions permit, you can buy and eat them.

Looking in the mirror of rumors

We often see information such as "something is harmful to the human body" or "something is banned". The correct part of this information will help us avoid risks, but wrong information can also mislead us. To identify this kind of information, you can see if there is an information source, such as a certain document or a certain study. If conditions permit, you can search for the original text of the relevant source to dispel those false information that are groundless.

Author: Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Review丨Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert