Whats the difference between glucosamine hydrochloride (HCl) and glucosamine sulfate (S)?
Organic substances such as glucosamine deteriorate relatively quickly when exposed to light, air, or water. In order to keep them stable, the molecules are attached to another molecule (chloride and sulfate respectively) to keep them stable until they reach the digestive system. The molecules are then broken down and the glucosamine is absorbed (the chloride or sulfate is used in other biochemical functions). The major difference is that glucosamine HCl appears to contain more usable glucosamine than the sulfate form. That means if you take the same milligrams of each form of glucosamine, you will have more available glucosamine from the HCl form than the S form. Once absorbed, there is no difference in the way the body uses the glucosamine.
