Oral glucosamine  supplementation may help stimulate the post-surgery healing process but some people should avoid taking this substance.

Glucosamine is often used to keep knees, hips, and other tendons and ligaments functional. Apart from reducing joint pain it enhances hyaluronic acid production. It is often derived from seashells or, sometimes, laboratory-made.

The substance glucosamine occurs in cartilage. Glucosamine functions as a repairing agent, restoring the cartilage subject to wear and tear (as the body moves, cartilage is worn away and reshaped.).

According to the Pain Clinic, taking glucosamine supplements can increase the body’s production of certain wound healing proteins dramatically and improve the natural repair process.

concludes:

“Thus the administration of adequate amounts of glucosamine by mouth during the first few days after surgery or trauma can be expected to enhance hyaluronic acid production in the wound, promoting swifter healing and possibly diminishing complications related to scarring.”

What Is Hyaluronic acid? 

Hyaluronic acid ( HA, also known as hyaluronan) is an essential building block that is naturally present in the human body. (e.g. as a shock absorber in the knees) It has various functions of which one is to stimulate the production of collagen. It is also claimed to improve natural cell repair, and to prevent the drying up of bodily fluids in the body like .

More interestingly, hyaluronic acid is thought to play a major role in wound healing processes. These processes are divided into the following stages; inflammation, granulation tissue formation, re-epithelization and remodeling.

Hyaluronic acid consists of certain types of sugar molecules (mono- and disaccharide chains). It is thought that the glucose present in honey is converted into hyaluronic acid at the wound surface, forming an extracellular matrix that promotes wound healing. Anecdotal reports indicate that topical application of hyaluronic acid speeds wound, burn, ulcer, and scar healing. It is also used as a moisturizer.

Hyaluronic Acid May Be Responsible for Scarless Wound Healing in Embryos

The glucose in honey or derived from sugar may facilitate a balance between hyaluronic acid and collagen, similar to that found in fetal wounds. The extracellular matrix of fetal wounds is rich with hyaluronic acid and lacks excessive collagen. One study showed that:

“hyaluronic acid content in fetal wounds (these wounds heal without scar formation) is higher than that in adult wounds, which suggests that HA may, at least in part, reduce collagen deposition and therefore lead to reduced scarring. [Longaker M. T., et al., Annals of Surgery, 1991, 213: 292-296]

Other research by West et al., demonstrates:

“in adult and late gestation fetal wound healing, removal of HA results in fibrotic scarring. Though the exact role of HA in skin scarring is still under investigation, based on all the facts that have been observed, it must be a great contributor to the less fibrous scarring.”

 demonstrated that the amount of HA present in the skin influences the physiology of scar tissue. Part of the conclusion is that:

“the altered distribution and amount of HA in these different scar tissues may contribute to their different clinical characteristics.

Glucosamine Side Effects

When combined with blood thinners, glucosamine HCL increases your risk of developing prolonged or uncontrollable bleeding following an injury, dental work or surgery.

A study conducted at the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1998 raised concerns that glucosamine HCL may cause blood sugar levels in people with diabetes to rise.

Consult your doctor about the advantages of glucosamine after your surgery. Click here to learn about other supplements that stimulate the surgical healing process.