• image.alt
  • With Mayo Clinic rheumatologist

    April Chang-Miller, M.D.

    read biography

Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. View sample

Question

Glucosamine: Can it worsen gout symptoms?

My husband takes glucosamine supplements to treat gout. But I'm wondering if glucosamine, which contains shellfish, may actually worsen gout symptoms?

Answer

from April Chang-Miller, M.D.

Taking glucosamine isn't likely to have any effect on gout — either good or bad.

Gout is a form of arthritis that's characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness and tenderness in joints. Gout is caused by deposits of uric acid crystals in a joint. Uric acid is a waste product formed from the breakdown of purines — substances found naturally in the body and in certain foods, including shellfish and organ meats.

Typically, glucosamine is made synthetically or from the outer shells (exoskeletons) of shellfish — not the shellfish meat. Because glucosamine doesn't contain purines, it isn't likely to increase uric acid levels or aggravate gout symptoms. Likewise, there's no clinical evidence that glucosamine helps prevent or treat gout either.

Next question
Gout diet: Reducing purines may improve symptoms
References
  1. Gout. Arthritis Foundation. http://ww2.arthritis.org/conditions/DiseaseCenter/gout.asp. Accessed Sept. 17, 2008.
  2. Glucosamine hydrochloride. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Sept. 17, 2008.
  3. Choi HK, et al. Purine-rich foods, dairy and protein intake, and the risk of gout in men. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2004;350(11):1093-1103.

AN00983

Dec. 23, 2008

© 1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Reliable tools for healthier lives," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Print Share Reprints

Text Size: smaller largerlarger