Is Glucosamine Sulphate an Anxiolytic Agent?

Anxiety is a complex disorder that develops as a result of exposure to stress. Stress is a cause of anxiety because the physiological changes that result from stress alter brain function. Initially, after exposure to stress, there are a series of inflammatory reactions that occur in the brain. The result of this inflammation is an increase in free radical generation, and if excessive, due to prolonged stress and prolonged inflammation, the free radicals lead to oxidative stress. This oxidative stress damages the cell membranes of the neurones of the brain, and this leads to changes in brain function. One change that occurs is an increase in anxious feelings, that would be described as chronic and without obvious cause. Glucosamine sulphate has been shown to be an anti-inflammatory, and therefore it might be expected that glucosamine may benefit those with anxiety. Limited studies have been conducted, but in one study, administration of glucosamine to subjects with low back pain significantly reduced trait anxiety.

inflammation glucosamine anxiety

Glucosamine may reduce inflammation through reductions in prostaglandin E2 concentrations. This may suggest that taking glucosamine is beneficial to those with anxiety, as the development of anxiety involves significant inflammatory processes.

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Singh, G., Alekseeva, L., Goriachev, D., Barinov, A., Nasonov, E. and Mithal, A. 2017. OP0272 Chronic low back pain and anxiety: significant decrease with glucosamine-chondroitin sulfate treatment in a large, community-based, pilot, open prospective interventional study. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 76: 169
Kantor, E. D., Lampe, J. W., Navarro, S. L., Song, X., Milne, G. L. and White, E. 2014. Associations between glucosamine and chondroitin supplement use and biomarkers of systemic inflammation. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 20(6): 479-485

About Robert Barrington

Robert Barrington is a writer, nutritionist, lecturer and philosopher.
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