Glucosamine Sulfate vs. Glucosamine HCl _ What's the difference and why does it matter?
Glucosamine comes in two major forms, glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine HCl (Hydrochloride). Some say that the sulfated form is better because it adds sulfur while others say that both forms have similar bioavailability of glucosamine. If you are reviewing the research on this, you will see that older research studies, especially in the USA favored the sulfated form which was more readily available while recent research from Europe has found no discernible difference between the two. This pill is combined with MSM which contains a biologically active form of sulfur making it a potent sulfur donor negating the need for extra sulfur from glucosamine sulfate.<br /><br />Glucosamine is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from the air which leads to breakdown of the glucosamine molecule therefore, a pure glucosamine tablet would have little therapeutic effect without the addition of the sulfate or HCl stabilizers.<br /><br />Glucosamine sulfate tablets need to be additionally stabilized using either sodium chloride (NaCl) or potassium chloride (KCl) (up to 30% by weight) while glucosamine HCl tablets do not require any stabilizing salts. The sulfated form is sourced from shellfish and typically contains around 75% glucosamine while the HCl form is more naturally stable, doesn't require preservatives, is sourced from plants and typically contains around 83% glucosamine.<br /><br />This product is an enteric coated tablet which protects against moisture and releases the nutrients in the small intestine where absorption occurs. A few studies found that the enteric coated tablet form which would protect the glucosamine from the acids in the stomach had a greater therapeutic outcome.<br /><br />This seems to work better than the other forms I have tried in the past, your mileage may differ.<br /><br />I hope this additional information was helpful and informative.<br /><br />Art
