COT statement on glucosamine

Thursday 7 May 2009

The Committee on Toxicity (COT) has today published its view on whether glucosamine, a popular food supplement, can cause hepatitis.

This follows a small number of case reports, including one that became the subject of a Scottish Fatal Accident Inquiry, though it was later concluded that there was no link. The COT was asked to consider whether a causal association was plausible – that is, that using glucosamine can lead to hepatitis.

The COT concludes that the available data on glucosamine does not indicate that glucosamine damages the liver. Glucosamine occurs naturally within the human body and no plausible mechanism by which it might cause liver damage is apparent.

A range of information, including case reports, data from trials in human volunteers and studies in laboratory animals, was considered by the COT. It also considered data on chondroitin (glucosamine is often taken in combination with chondroitin sulphate).

The Food Standards Agency view is that the current evidence does not suggest that glucosamine is likely to be a cause of hepatitis.