Do glucosamine and chondroitin supplements actually work for joint health?

Do glucosamine and chondroitin supplements actually work for joint health?
Clinical evidence from 16 meta-analyses (2018-2024) shows modest benefits at best. For chondroitin sulfate, oral doses of 800-1,200 mg/day for over 12 weeks produced small-to-moderate pain relief in only 3 of 9 studies and similar functional improvement in 3 of 6 studies. No effect on joint stiffness was found. Pharmaceutical-grade products performed better than non-pharmaceutical grades. Combined use with glucosamine showed no clear additive benefit. This evidence gap matters for the Chinese market, where chondroitin is sold both as an OTC drug and in premium supplements priced from tens to hundreds of RMB. Buyers should note that drug-grade chondroitin sodium tablets from domestic producers cost around RMB 7 per 100 tablets, far cheaper than most supplement formulations.