Anyone familiar with a drugstore or vitamin shop has seen glucosamine among the supplements for sale. The bottle assures the buyer that the symptoms and pain of arthritis or degenerating joints will be alleviated. Lesser known, but more impressive benefits of glucosamine include an ability to delay cancer growth, and reduction of metabolism of nutritive sugars.

The propensity to slow nutritive sugar metabolism was recognized 50 years ago, but research conducted during the last decade has provided several more clues to glucosamine benefits, especially as it pertains to lifespan:

  • In 2007, research revealed that nutritive sugar shortened the lifespan of roundworms. Scientists also found that when carbohydrate metabolism was subverted, the worms lived longer.

  • In a recent study, researchers found that the life span of roundworms was extended by almost 5% when treated with glucosamine.

  • The most significant finding came as the researchers fed glucosamine to aging mice. Compared to untreated mice, the glucosamine-fed mice saw a nearly 10% spike in life span, the equivalent of 8 human years. Diabetes was also reduced.

As scientists further studied the effects of glucosamine on worms and mice, they determined that the supplement also promotes the breakdown of amino acids, much like a low carbohydrate diet.

Researcher Michael Ristow stated, “this reflects the metabolic state of a low-carb diet due to glucosamine supplementation alone – while these mice ingested the same amount of carbohydrates as their un-supplemented counterparts.” It is thought that glucosamine would behave similarly in humans, imitating a low-carb diet with no need to reduce carbohydrate consumption.

There may be some wisdom in adding glucosamine to your supplement regimen, since there are no significant side effects. Diabetics should monitor blood glucose levels closely. Though there is no conclusive proof, two large-scale studies associate reduced human mortality and glucosamine supplementation.

Read the full article here: By mimicking a low-carb diet, glucosamine promotes longevity – Medical News Today