Glucosamine

Glucosamine is not very stable alone, so it is combined with other elements. The two most common combinations seen in the horse industry are glucosamine HCL and glucosamine sulfate.

Which is more digestible--glucosamine HCL or glucosamine sulfate?

Neither is more digestible. Both combinations separate in the body, leaving glucosamine to be absorbed separately. Some horses may respond better to one form or the other.

Is there any cost savings between glucosamine HCL and glucosamine sulfate?

Gram for gram, glucosamine HCL contains more glucosamine than glucosamine sulfate. Glucosamine sulfate manufacturers usually add sodium chloride (NaCl), table salt and/or potassium chloride (KCl) to improve the stability of the glucosamine. However, this combination also lowers the dosage.

Example: The label says you are getting 1500 mg of glucosamine sulfate per serving. You are actually only gaining 1050 mg of pure glucosamine per serving when the sulfate and salts are subtracted.

When buying glucosamine sulfate, look at the ingredients to see if sodium chloride or potassium chloride is listed. Even if the label says the product is salt free, the manufacturer may not refer to potassium chloride as salt.

Sulfur is very important for the body in producing natural lubricants. Will this compensate for the glucosamine sulfate?

Unfortunately, the dosage of sulfur in glucosamine sulfate is too low to make a difference for your horse. On average, a 5000 mg serving of glucosamine sulfate only contains 300 mg of sulfur, which is about 2 percent of the horse's daily needs.

References:

"Glucosamine Sulfate vs. Glucosamine HCL." 2005.

http://www.glucosamine-osteoarthritis.org/glucosamine/glucosamine-hcl.html. "What form of Glucosamine Should I Take?" 2005.