Evidence of nutriceutical effectiveness in the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Several entities have been carefully investigated for the symptomatic and structural management of osteoarthritis. The most compelling evidence of a potential for inhibiting the structural progression of osteoarthritis has been obtained with glucosamine sulfate, while some preliminary results also suggest that chondroitin sulfate could be used in the same indication. At any rate, these two compounds have clearly demonstrated a symptomatic action, mainly in osteoarthritis of the lower limbs. Symptomatic effect on pain relief and improvement of functional disability was also reported with the use of avocado/soybean extracts. Other nutriceuticals, including ginger extracts, should be more extensively investigated. An important issue is that all the conclusive studies with such chemical entities resulted from the use of prescription medicines, and not over-the-counter pills or food supplements.