Chondroitin

The Basics

What is Chondroitin?

popular treatment for osteoarthritis

Brand names for Chondroitin

Na

How Chondroitin is classified

Complementary Therapies, Glycosaminoglycans

Chondroitin During Pregnancy

Chondroitin pregnancy category

Category N/ANote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.

What we know about taking Chondroitin while pregnant

N/A

Taking Chondroitin While Breastfeeding

What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Chondroitin?

Chondroitin sulfate consists of a mixture of large glycosaminoglycans and disaccharide polymers, usually derived from shark or bovine cartilage. It is most commonly used to treat osteoarthritis. Chondroitin sulfate has no specific lactation-related uses. Chondroitin sulfate is poorly absorbed orally with a bioavailability of about 10%. It is well tolerated with occasional gastrointestinal upset reported. Although no studies exist on the use of chondroitin sulfate supplements during breastfeeding, small amounts occur naturally in breastmilk where it might have an inhibitory effect on microbial binding to cellular receptors in the infant or, helping prevent infections, or acting as a antioxidant to protect the infant from oxidative stress. Mothers of preterm infants excrete greater amounts of chondroitin into breastmilk than mothers of fullterm infants.[1][2] The use of chondroitin by a nursing mother is unlikely to adversely affect the breastfed infant. Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products.

Maternal / infant drug levels

Chondroitin sulfate consists of a mixture of large glycosaminoglycans and disaccharide polymers, usually derived from shark or bovine cartilage. It is most commonly used to treat osteoarthritis. Chondroitin sulfate has no specific lactation-related uses. Chondroitin sulfate is poorly absorbed orally with a bioavailability of about 10%. It is well tolerated with occasional gastrointestinal upset reported. Although no studies exist on the use of chondroitin sulfate supplements during breastfeeding, small amounts occur naturally in breastmilk where it might have an inhibitory effect on microbial binding to cellular receptors in the infant or, helping prevent infections, or acting as a antioxidant to protect the infant from oxidative stress. Mothers of preterm infants excrete greater amounts of chondroitin into breastmilk than mothers of fullterm infants.[1][2] The use of chondroitin by a nursing mother is unlikely to adversely affect the breastfed infant. Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products.

Possible effects of Chondroitin on milk supply

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Possible alternatives to Chondroitin

None listed