Product Overview
NOW Foods Joint Support combines three joint ingredients — glucosamine, Boswellin® (a Boswellia serrata extract) and bromelain — with vitamin C, B vitamins and minerals. The serving is two capsules, and the bottle of 90 capsules holds 45 servings — about six weeks.
It is made by NOW Foods of Bloomingdale, Illinois, USA, a company the label describes as family owned since 1968, and is marked non-GMO and “made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients”. The figures below are from the supplement facts panel in the product photo, and they match the seller’s listing.
Ingredients / Specifications
Per serving of 2 capsules:
- Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) 67 mg — 74% DV
- Niacin (as niacinamide) 67 mg — 419% DV
- Vitamin B6 (from pyridoxine HCl) 33 mg — 1,941% DV
- Pantothenic acid (from calcium pantothenate) 67 mg — 1,340% DV
- Magnesium (from magnesium oxide) 133 mg — 32% DV
- Zinc (from zinc picolinate) 10 mg — 91% DV
- Copper (from copper chelate complex) 2 mg — 222% DV
- Manganese (from manganese chelate complex) 5 mg — 217% DV
- Glucosamine HCl 667 mg
- Boswellin® (Boswellia serrata extract, gum resin) 200 mg
- Bromelain (2,400 GDU/g) 100 mg
- PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) 67 mg
- Alfalfa juice concentrate 67 mg
Other ingredients: bovine gelatin (BSE-free) capsule, ascorbyl palmitate, rice flour, maltodextrin (non-GMO), citric acid. Contains shellfish (shrimp, crab).
Key Benefits
- Glucosamine is a building block of cartilage and one of the most studied joint supplements. The trial results are mixed — see below.
- Boswellia is a tree gum resin used in Ayurveda. Several small trials in knee osteoarthritis report modest easing of pain and stiffness; most were short and small.
- Bromelain is an enzyme from pineapple. The evidence for joints is limited.
- Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for cartilage and bone, and manganese and copper contribute to normal connective tissue.
What the Evidence Says
- Large, well-run trials of glucosamine in knee osteoarthritis have given mixed results — some a small easing of pain, others no more than a placebo.
- Most of those trials used 1,500 mg of glucosamine a day, usually as glucosamine sulfate. This product gives 667 mg a day as glucosamine HCl — less than half that amount, in the form that has generally done less well. Keep your expectations in line with that.
- Where any of these ingredients helps, it takes two to three months. None of them is a painkiller, and there is no good evidence that they rebuild worn cartilage.
Losing weight if you are overweight, strengthening the muscles around the joint and staying active do more for knee and hip arthritis than any supplement. A hot, swollen or red joint, or pain after an injury, needs a doctor.
What We Have Left Out
- “Anti-inflammatory benefits” and “reduced joint stiffness” — the label says “supports healthy joints”, which is the careful version. This is not an anti-inflammatory medicine.
- “Improved mobility, flexibility and faster recovery” — not shown for this formula.
- “Scientifically backed” and “synergistic” — the individual ingredients have been studied; this combination, at these doses, has not been tested as a combination.
Shellfish Allergy Warning
The label states that this product contains shellfish (shrimp, crab) — glucosamine is commonly made from crustacean shells. If you are allergic to prawns, shrimp, crab, lobster or any other shellfish, do not take it. A shellfish allergy can cause a severe and rapid reaction. Get medical help urgently if you notice swelling of the face or throat, a spreading rash or difficulty breathing.
Blood Thinners, Diabetes and Other Medicines
- If you take warfarin or any other blood thinner, speak to your doctor first. There are reports of glucosamine increasing the effect of warfarin, and bromelain may add to bleeding risk. Tell your surgeon or dentist you take it; you may be asked to stop about two weeks before an operation.
- Antibiotics — bromelain may increase the absorption of some antibiotics, such as amoxicillin and tetracyclines. Ask your pharmacist.
- Diabetes — glucosamine is an amino sugar. Most studies show little effect on blood sugar, but check your readings a little more closely when you start.
- Pineapple allergy — avoid it; bromelain comes from pineapple.
- Vitamin B6, 33 mg a day — within the US upper limit of 100 mg, but above the 12 mg limit European authorities now set. Long-term high B6 has been linked with nerve damage. Stop and see a doctor if you get tingling or numbness in your hands or feet, and do not stack it with another B6 product.
Key Features
- Glucosamine HCl 667 mg, Boswellin® 200 mg and bromelain 100 mg per 2 capsules
- With vitamin C, niacin, B6, pantothenic acid, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese
- 90 capsules — 45 servings
- Non-GMO; made in the USA by NOW Foods
How to Use
- The label directions: take two capsules daily with food, or as your healthcare practitioner directs.
- Give it two to three months before judging whether it helps. If you notice nothing by then, it is reasonable to stop.
- Check your multivitamin and other supplements for B6, zinc and copper before taking both.
Who Is It Suitable For?
Adults with stiff or aching joints who want to try a glucosamine and boswellia formula alongside — not instead of — exercise, weight management and medical care.
- Not for anyone with a shellfish or pineapple allergy.
- Pregnant, nursing, taking medication or with a medical condition — the label says to consult your healthcare provider before use.
- Not for children; the listing gives it for adults 18 and over.
- Not suitable for vegetarians — bovine gelatin capsule and shellfish-derived ingredients.
Why Choose NOW Foods Joint Support?
An established maker, a fully disclosed label and three joint ingredients in one capsule pair. Be realistic about the glucosamine: if that is the ingredient you most want, a product with 1,500 mg a day matches the trials more closely.
Symptoms Need a Doctor, Not a Capsule
If you have symptoms — pain, a change in how your body is working, something that has been getting worse — the useful thing to do is get it looked at. A supplement bought because a listing named your symptom delays that, and delay is the part that causes harm.
Take this if you and a doctor have decided it is a sensible addition. Do not take it as a way of avoiding the appointment.
This Is a Supplement, Not a Medicine
A dietary supplement is a food product. It is not a medicine, it has not been through the testing a medicine goes through, and it does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Supplement labels use health language — “supports”, “helps maintain”, “promotes” — precisely because they are not permitted to claim treatment. Read them that way. If a listing anywhere promises that a capsule will fix a medical condition, that promise is not one the product can keep.
What a supplement can honestly do is fill a gap in your diet. That is worth something, and it is a smaller thing than most packaging implies.
Talk to a Doctor First
Speak to a doctor or pharmacist before you start, particularly if you:
- take any prescribed medicine — supplements interfere with medicines more often than people expect
- are being treated for a heart, liver, kidney, thyroid or blood condition
- have diabetes
- are pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding
- have surgery or a dental procedure coming up
Never stop or reduce a prescribed medicine in order to take a supplement instead. That is the single most dangerous thing anyone does with a product like this, and it is what the marketing language quietly invites.
About the Imported Pack
This is an imported product. The label, the dose instructions and the ingredient panel are the ones printed for the market it was made for, and the wording may differ from a locally packaged version.
Follow the dose printed on the pack itself — it is the authority on its own contents — and check the expiry date when it arrives. If anything on the label is unclear, message us before you take it and we will read it to you.
Storage
- Keep the container tightly closed, somewhere cool and dry, out of direct sunlight.
- Do not store it in a bathroom. Heat and humidity break supplements down faster than anything else, and a Dhaka bathroom is the worst place in the house for them.
- Leave the desiccant sachet in the bottle. It is there to keep moisture out, not by mistake.
- Softgels and fish oils are best kept in a fridge in hot weather — they go rancid otherwise.
- Keep it out of reach of children.
- Do not use it after the expiry date, and throw it away if the capsules smell strongly off, have stuck together or changed colour.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does one bottle last?
45 days at the label dose of two capsules a day.
Is it suitable for vegetarians?
No. The capsule is bovine gelatin, and the label says it contains shellfish.
How long until it works?
If it helps you at all, expect it to take 8 to 12 weeks. Judge it then, not after a week.
Can I take it with my other supplements?
Check the labels for anything that appears in both — doubling a dose by accident is easy. If you are on prescribed medicine as well, ask a pharmacist. They do this check quickly and for free.
How do I check the pack is in date?
The expiry date is printed on the bottle or the base of the box. Check it as soon as your order arrives. If it is unreadable or close to expiry, message us and we will replace it.
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