Take Chondrointin or Glucosamine? Read this.

[shesulsa]

Of the 20 joint supplements marketed to people and their pets that were selected by ConsumerLab.com and tested by independent laboratories, 40 percent failed to contain what their labels promised.

All the problems popped up among products that claimed to contain chondroitin, a key — and pricey — ingredient. Of 11 such brands, eight came up short on the substance, which is purported to inhibit enzymes that break down the cartilage in joints.


For instance, Nature’s Plus Ultra Maximum Strength Chondroitin 600, which touts “highest quality” chondroitin, turned out to have no chondroitin at all.


Even pets are getting shorted. Nutri-Vet Nutritionals Hip & Joint Soft Chews, which is marketed for dogs, contained less than 1 percent of its claimed chondroitin and less than half the promised glucosamine, a substance thought to stimulate cartilage production.

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Man. I really don't like the idea of the FDA getting involved in this kind of thing, but this REALLY sucks.

 

[exile]

I have the feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg. The nutraceutical industry is almost completely unscrutinized, compared to medical drug manufacturers. Basically, you're taking what they tell you about their contents on faith. And given that this is stuff that you're putting in your body, it's more than a little bit scary when you think of it in those terms...

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I have the feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg. The nutraceutical industry is almost completely unscrutinized, compared to medical drug manufacturers. Basically, you're taking what they tell you about their contents on faith. And given that this is stuff that you're putting in your body, it's more than a little bit scary when you think of it in those terms...

Absolutely they are unregulated and you are trusting them on faith. Scary!

 

[Kacey]

Yeah, I've seen articles like that too... I was happy to see in the article I read last year (can't remember where, sorry) that Costco's store brand glucosamine/chondroitin supplement came out on the same high level as Nature Made.