Can glucosamine be taken alongside other supplements?

Research has explored the combination of glucosamine with various supplements, often used to address osteoarthritis and joint health.

Boswellia is an ayurvedic herb that also appears to have anti-osteoarthritic properties. One animal study comparing the effect of oral supplementation of glucosamine to Boswellia serrata, alone and in combination with each other, found synergistic effects from the combination of the two supplements for chronic inflammation. However, the acute inflammatory response remained unchanged.^[1] The effect of the combination of glucosamine and Boswellia serrata on chronic inflammation seemed comparable to that of the reference anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen, but it did not outperform it.

Fish oil is another supplement often taken in conjunction with glucosamine. One study comparing 1500 mg of glucosamine sulfate to a combination of glucosamine sulfate with fish oil (1332 mg total with 600 mg omega-3 fatty acids) didn’t find any difference in the number of participants who obtained moderate (20%) pain relief, which was the study’s original endpoint. However, the study’s authors did note that if they looked only at the number of people who had substantial (80%) pain relief, slightly but significantly more people experienced this level of pain relief with the combination therapy than with glucosamine alone after 26 weeks of treatment.^[2]

Chondroitin, another popular supplement for osteoarthritis management and joint health, is also often used alongside glucosamine. Current research does not support the notion that combining glucosamine and chondroitin leads to synergistic effects in reducing pain and osteoarthritis symptoms.^[3][4]