Joint pain is a huge problem. Whether it comes from injuries or aging joints millions struggle daily with joint pain and either reach for the pain killers or bear it reluctantly.

There is another way, an alternative to bearing pain and swallowing pain killers and that is to use natural supplements which help the joints to heal.

Remember that if you take a pain killer the injury or inflammation that causes the pain is still there. And the longer the inflammation goes on the more damage will be done in the joint.

Taking a pain killer is like turning your smoke alarm off when it starts to ring and not dealing with the cause of the smoke. The fire, the cause of the smoke is still smouldering and if not handled will break out and cause a great deal of damage.

In the body we have pain as our “Smoke alarm”. Pain alerts us to trouble going on in our joints and other tissues. The “trouble” is the smouldering fire of inflammation.

So we need to focus on the inflammation and reduce it and then repair the damage in the joints.

That is the job that a “Joint Pain Remedy” has to do. A naturopath may do this with many different supplements but some of the best are

• Glucosamine Sulphate
• Chondroitin
• Omega 3 oils
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D

And there are others too!

So how does Cosamin ds stack up?

First let’s look at the background. Cosamin ds and Cosamin asu are produced by a private American Christian based company Nutramax Laboratories Inc., headquartered in Maryland.

Nutramax Cosamin stands out amongst a mas of “me too” glucosamine and chondroitin products by using patented versions of glucosamine and chondroitin.

Nutramax say that “Cosamin DS is the only brand proven to reduce joint pain in peer-reviewed, controlled published US clinical studies.“

Let’s take them at their word – there is a lot of research data to show that Glucosamine and Chondroitin work – they really do help joints to heal and repair.

And just to underline that this is a real solid remedy – this stuff works with pets. Nutramax produces whole lines of remedies for dogs, horses and other pets. You don’t just “feel better” when you take  glucosamine and chondroitin they really do help your joints to get better.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin Facts and Figures

Sorry for the long introduction but I want you to be able to make the best decision for your joint health!

Glucosamine is a natural substance in the body which we make to keep our joints in good condition. For reasons not yet understood some of us make less glucosamine as we get older and our joints get stressed, inflamed and damaged.

We can easily supply the “missing glucosamine” by choosing and using a good glucosamine supplement. This will supply the glucosamine we need but we need other things too, so it may not be enough on its own.

Chondroitin is a natural companion to glucosamine. It is a major part of cartilage and attracts water into the cartilage and stimulates new growth. It also has enzymes that prevent enzymes dissolving cartilage.

Glucosamine studies have shown better results than the use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories and have had fewer effects than inert placebo pills.

In my book that’s enough proof that Glucosamine and Chondroitin work well and that Cosamin DS is well worth taking.

Where are Glucosamine and Chondroitin From?

But apart from being effective some folks are concerned about where a remedy is from. In particular people with known allergies and folks who follow special diets.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin are almost always derived from the shells of shellfish. People who have known shellfish allergies often want to avoid these 2 remedies for fear of triggering their allergic reactions.

One answer to the allergy question is that shellfish allergies are to the meat of the shellfish and not to the shell itself. A pilot study was done on this issue on a group of 6 volunteers with known shellfish allergies.

The standard signs of allergic reaction were shown when their skin was exposed to shellfish meat and no signs were shown when exposed to the shell itself. I repeat that this was only a small group and needs to be backed up with a much larger study.

But there may not be an allergy problem at all

But vegetarians want to avoid Glucosamine and Chondroitin too, so what do they do?

Well they can take Avoca asu.

This is a shellfish free or vegetarian version of a glucosamine joint remedy. One of the most interesting pieces of research over the last few years since Cosamin DS was formulated was the use of special oils found in Avocados and soy beans.

The special oils are tightly bound to fibres in the Avocado/Soy and you cannot get the benefit they give simply by eating those foods.

ASU is the name given to this combo of Avocado and Soy and Nutramax use their version of ASU in Avoca. In fact they thought so highly of ASU that they brought out a version of Cosamin with ASU –and that version is called Cosamin ASU.

By this time you may be feeling a tad confused with all these initials, so let’s summarise and end this review.

Final Word on Cosamin DS

• Cosamin DS – a joint pain remedy that is a combo of glucosamine and Chondroitin proven to be clinically effective 

• Cosamin ASU – a joint pain remedy that is a combo of Glucosamine and Chondroitin with the added bonus of ASU 

• Avoca ASU– a joint pain remedy with Glucosamine and ASU produced for vegetarians or for anyone who does not want a shellfish product in their remedy.

All 3 are on sale at Amazon now and can be ordered on this link – so just click here for your choice of joint remedy right now!