glucosamine sulfate

I am just starting running and have been advised to take glucosamine sulfate to help with my knee pain. Now the tablets I have bought are 500mg and the instructions state to take 1 to 4 tablets per day with food. Would I be better taking the maximum dose or will taking 1 actually help?

Who's advised you to take them?

Have a search through the forum for glucosamine, as its a sbject that comes up fairly frequently.  The "science" behind taking it doesn't really stack up.

Someone on a different forum swears by them.

the clinical evidence for the benefits of glucosamine isn't there so when people say they swear by them, it's probably as the result of a placebo effect.  so if you want to spend money on something that has no proven clinical benefit, and if it helps to reduce youur knee pain by the placebo effect, go ahead.  

frankly you'd be better off saving the money and getting a professional opinion as to what's causing the pain

+1 for the above

my sister was advised constantly to take glucosamine for knee pain by her doctor.  after years of hassling the docs she has finally been given an MRI scan and it appears she has a tear in her ligament and needs key hole surgery - something that could have been done years ago.  if you have got knee pain - find out what is causing it!!!! 

I have mal-tracking of both knee caps.  Had knee pain for years especially when the knee was kept in one position (such as driving) but also aches when running.  I started taking glucosamine and the pain has completely gone away.  When I run out because I've forgotten to stock up on it, it returns.  So I "swear by it".  What's the harm in trying it?  If it works for you then great, if it doesn't, try something else.  You are obviously curious about it so why not try it?  The views of people on here are their own opinions based on something they have read somewhere but then no link to support their opinions are given.  You are better off formulating your own opinion (in my opinion

I use glucosimine, MSM and cod liver oil for my joints. I can't really comment on which ones helps. But my joints do feel better. Just what a physio told me to take.

"The views of people on here are their own opinions based on something they have read somewhere but then no link to support their opinions are given."

errm - bar all the lack of published clinical evidence to it's supposed benefits - my comments are also based on my wife's experience of using glucosamine to see if it helped her "dodgy" knees. her view was that it was making no difference at all so she dicthed it after a few months of using it.

but as I said, if people want to spend money on a placebo effect then it's their choice.

Ok, fair point, but for me, it seems to work.  No proof it's a placebo effect or whether it actual works in my case.  For some people it might not be what is needed and is not necessarily a solution to every knee pain problem.

Can't see the harm in someone trying it.

If you are going to take them I have been told that the amount you need is 1500 mg

per day which is probably best taking 3 x 500

I have been taking them for a few years. I've been OK for most of the time so I presumed they were working. It may take a few weeks to get into your system.