A 10p dietary pill taken to ease arthritis can slash the risk of a heart attack or stroke by more than a fifth, according to research.
Glucosamine is consumed by millions of people around the world to ease the misery of joint pain.
A study of almost half a million Brits found those who used it regularly were up to 22 per cent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease (CVD).
The compound – produced naturally by the body in cartilage between the joints – is believed to dampen down inflammation.
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Most glucosamine supplements, which can also be taken as a liquid, are sold in the UK as a “food” and not a medicine.
Professor Lu Qi, epidemiologist at Tulane University, New Orleans, said: “Habitual use of glucosamine supplements to relieve osteoarthritis pain might also be related to lower risks of CVD events.”
He called for further trials. Earlier this week the British Heart Foundation revealed deaths from the disease are rising for the first time in 50 years.
Natural sources of glucosamine include the ends of chicken bones and crustacean shells. Medical experts have advised boiling them to make a healthy broth.
The findings, published in The British Medical Journal, saw Professor Qi’s team follow 466,039 male and female participants without CVD for an average of seven years.
They completed a questionnaire on supplement use.
