Joint supplements: which one should you buy?

How to choose a combination supplement

• Key ingredient doses — Per day: glucosamine 1,500 mg, chondroitin 800–1,200 mg, MSM 1,500 mg or more (2–3 g for pain support). If most ingredients named in the product title are under a quarter of these amounts, they count as 'token ingredients' — 'Not recommended'
• Hidden amounts — 'Not recommended' if a Proprietary Blend hides the amount of the key ingredients in the product name. If only minor ingredients are blended, it's noted in the reasons
• Turmeric and boswellia labeling — For turmeric, look for the curcumin (curcuminoid) amount and a named absorption ingredient; for boswellia, look for boswellic acid % or a patented ingredient (5-Loxin, etc.). Powders and '4:1 extracts' don't tell you the active amount, so they don't count toward dose. Standardized boswellia extract at 350 mg or more a day is on par with a single-ingredient product
• Cautions when combining — Glucosamine and chondroitin often come from shrimp, crab or cattle, so check for allergies. Piperine (BioPerine) can change how drugs are absorbed, so it's flagged. If the product has vitamin D, add it to any other vitamin D you take. If you take blood thinners, talk to your doctor first
• Better than buying separately? — If all three ingredients are at standard doses, it counts as a combo that saves pills and money. If only glucosamine is at a real dose and the rest are small, we note that a glucosamine-only product is better
• Cost per day — Price ÷ count × the label's daily pills. Recorded as a number only, not used in the verdict
• Label check — Products we could not verify in the NIH DSLD label database get 'Depends on your needs' at best. Review counts, star ratings and brand are not used in the verdict. A product isn't 'Not recommended' just because the pills are large