Arthritis pill may hold the secret to longer life

A popular dietary supplement used by arthritis sufferers may have the power to extend people’s lifespans.

Scientists who fed glucosamine to ageing mice found the animals lived almost 10% longer than usual — the equivalent in human terms of eight years’ extra life.

Laboratory worms previously exposed to the compound, which occurs naturally in the body and helps rebuild cartilage, responded in a similar way.

The Swiss researchers believe glucosamine is also likely to have a life-extending effect on humans by altering metabolism. Support for the claim comes from two recent epidemiological studies involving more than 77,000 participants which linked glucosamine supplements to reduced death rates.

Professor Michael Ristow, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, who led the research, said: “Unlike with our longer-living mice, such an association is no definite proof of the effectiveness of glucosamine in humans, but the chances are good.

“Since unlike with most other potentially lifespan-extending drugs there are no known relevant side effects of glucosamine supplementation, I would tend to recommend this supplement.” He said he takes the compound himself and glucosamine supplements “may be considered a valid option”.

The research follows earlier work by Prof Ristow showing that lowering the carbohydrate metabolism of laboratory worms extended their lifespans, an effect not seen in mice.

Glucosamine is also known to reduce the breakdown of sugary carbohydrates in the body, while at the same time promoting the metabolism of amino acid protein building blocks. When Dr Ristow’s team exposed worms to the compound, they lived around 5% longer than untreated worms.

Next the scientists tested supplementing the diets of elderly mice with glucosamine. The animals were aged 100 weeks, the equivalent of 65 in human years. Mice given the supplements not only lived longer, but displayed improved glucose metabolism which suggested they were protected against diabetes.

“This reflects the metabolic state of a low-carb diet due to glucosamine supplementation alone,” said Dr Ristow. He said the results, published in the journal Nature Communications, implied that taking glucosamine would mimic the effects of a low-carb diet in humans, without having to eat less. The research also showed that glucosamine reduced blood glucose levels and boosted numbers of mitochondria, the energy-generating “power houses” in cells.

British expert Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology and Consultant Rheumatologist at King’s College London, urged a cautious view of the new research. He said: “Glucosamine is an interesting molecule that could affect us subtly in many ways. It has been used safely in arthritis for years, although the benefits to joints and mechanisms are still controversial. “If an even modest effect on ageing were proven it would be a major advance. However, humans are not the same as worms or rodents and studies will need careful replication before we get over-excited.” Global sales of glucosamine supplements reached nearly £1.3 billion in 2008.