In the case of two brands found adequate, the label recommends taking a lower dose than was studied in the clinical trial. Those are the GNC brand, which suggests one to two tablets a day when the government used a dose equivalent to two pills, and CosaminDS, which suggests one to three pills daily when the government dose was three pills a day.
The pills in the top 13 are: Kirkland Signature, Spring Valley, Target, Vitamin World, Vitasmart, Now, GNC, Safeway Select, CVS, Walgreens, Oseo Bi-Flex, Nature's Bounty and CosaminDS.
The two labeled marginally adequate (containing 80 percent to 90 percent of the labeled amount of glucosamine and chondroitin) are 21st Century and Glucoflex. The two labeled inadequate by Consumer Reports are FlexAble and Trader Darwin's. They were found to contain less than 80 percent of labeled chondroitin.
Since Consumer Reports regularly recommends the least expensive of its approved brands, its No. 1 "quick pick" is Kirkland Signature, the Costco brand.
"It costs 25 cents a day, and if you keep taking the pills," Consumer Reports reports, "the savings on this product alone would recoup Costco's annual $45 basic membership fee in 10 months or less."
The other recommended pills costing less than 50 cents a day are Spring Valley (Wal-Mart), Target, Vitamin World and Vitasmart (Kmart).
Consumer Reports also warns consumers to "be wary" of dollar-store brands, which were generally found to be "substandard."
Bottom line? Take a brand that supplies 1,500 milligrams of glucosamine and 1,200 milligrams of chondroitin a day. If you feel no difference after three months, stop.
And if you are allergic to shellfish, avoid glucosamine, which is made from that source.
Source: Palm Beach Post. Powered by Yellowbrix.
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