Knee Supplements Not Better than Placebo

Lots of coverage out on a new study of glucosamine and chondroitin, supplements often used to slow cartilage loss among people suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee. Among other findings, the study showed that people taking the supplements had about the same amount of cartilage loss as those taking a placebo (ie: the supplements ain't doin' much).

According to USA Today, the combination glucosamine chondroitin is the sixth-top-selling dietary supplement in the United States. It had annual sales of $831 million in 2007, the Nutrition Business Journal says.

Mind over matter is all well and good, and it's great if anecdotal evidence shows certain patients react well to the supplements. But we're talking about a product on which Americans are spending nearly 1 billion dollars a year. This is big business - and with so much money (not to mention patient health) at stake, it makes you wonder why these products are not being regulated as tightly as drugs. . .