Vegan Glucosamine
Glucosamine is a major compound that supports healthy joints.
Glucosamine is a naturally occurring chemical compound that is widely used in supplement form to help support healthy joints in animal and humans. Cartilage and synovial fluid (a lubricating liquid found between joints) are important connective tissue that help reduce friction and allow your bones to move freely against each other. Glucosamine helps form the important chemical compounds that enable the body to create and maintain healthy connective tissue.
Glucosamine can help prevent conditions that can cause lameness in horses.
Maintaining healthy connective tissue is important as severe cartilage breakdown can lead to stiff joints and eventually, Osteoarthritis (OA). Like humans, Horses are susceptible to OA and this condition can have serious consequences; it is estimated that OA is the cause of more than 60% of horse lameness cases1 and can affect horses at any age.
We use 100% plant-based Glucosamine Hydrochloride.
Glucosamine is primarily sold in two different formulations: Glucosamine Sulfate and Glucosamine Hydrochloride (HCL). We chose Glucosamine Hydrochloride in our product formulation for two primary reasons – Glucosamine HCL is up to 25% more pure than Glucosamine Sulfate3 and is also available from 100% plant-based sources. This enables equivalent dosages in reduced amounts while ensuring that we mimic a horse’s natural herbivore diet as much as possible.
Research has shown that Glucosamine HCL is readily absorbed into the bloodstream and synovial fluid; horses fed approximately 30mg/kg of body weight showed an increase in Glucosamine levels compared to a control group. In addition, these horses showed decreased levels of inflammatory indicators (PGE2), decreased levels of cartilage-degrading enzymes (C2C), as well as increased levels of cartilage-building enzymes (CPII). These results suggest that Glucosamine HCL can support joint health as a preventative supplement and may also help prevent long-term joint damage2.
Most Glucosamine supplements available on the market today are derived from shellfish. To date, little is known about equine food allergies / sensitivities. Diagnostic tests are often difficult to administer, extremely time consuming, and notoriously unreliable. As horses are natural herbivores, we believe it is important to take advantage of plant-based ingredients; this can help reduce the risk of potentially negative side effects while providing your horse’s digestive system with familiar nutrition that is readily processed and absorbed.
1: Ryan, VetAdvantage, Dec 2016
2: Leatherwood, Gehl, Coverdale, Arnold, Dabareiner, Walter, Lamprecht, Journal of Animal Science, Aug 2016
3: Fox, Stephens, Clinical Interventions in Aging, Dec 2007