What Is N-Acetyl-d-Glucosamine?
You can’t define N-acetylglucosamine without first mentioning its parent, glucosamine. Glucosamine, also known as GlcN, is an amino sugar. It’s actually a compound produced when you substitute a hydroxyl group of glucose molecules with an amino group.1
Glucosamine has an acetylated derivative known as N-acetylglucosamine (or GlcNAc). Both compounds have been used as ingredients in various food products, cosmetic products, and within the pharmaceutical industry. N-acetylglucosamine is chemically similar to glucosamine, which also happens to be a natural substance found in your body’s cartilage.2
N-acetylglucosamine can be produced by the process of acid hydrolysis of chitin. Chitin is a linear polymer of the N-acetylglucosamine extracted from the shells of shrimp or crab. Furthermore, natural glucosamine exists in the fluids surrounding your joints and can also be found in your bones, bone marrow, and in some species of fungi. There are also synthetic forms of N-acetylglucosamine.3,4
The amino sugar N-acetylglucosamine plays an essential structural role at the cellular level — specifically with the surface of various cells. Mostly, N-acetylglucosamine is a vital component of the bacterial cell wall, fungal cell wall chitin, and the collagen, enzymes, and glycoproteins that provide structural support to human cells.5
Digging Deeper Into N-acetyl-d-glucosamine
When you take a closer look at N-acetylglucosamine, you’ll find that it can be found in bromelain and ricin agglutinin in plants. But in humans, it is often found in glycoproteins.6
As of late, N-acetylglucosamine (and some of its derivatives) have been put to use in various dietary supplements. 7,8
Potential Health Benefits Of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine
N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc) is an amino sugar known for carrying out significant structural roles at the cellular level. GlcNAc supports the cell’s surface and it is found within your connective tissues, blood vessels, cartilage, and bone matter.8,9†
Further research in human participants reveals that specific forms of glucosamine, like GlcNAc, may also potentially help support:
- Joint mobility10†
- Healthy levels of carbon and nitrogen in the body†
- Intestinal health†
- Respiratory tract health†
- Immune function11†
Which Gundry MD Supplements Include N-acetyl-d-glucosamine?
So, now are you considering where to buy N-acetyl-d-glucosamine? Your local health food store may carry supplements that utilize N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, but you can also find it in Gundry MD’s Total Restore.
The Total Restore product site can give you even more information about the potential benefits of the supplements, and it offers customer reviews so you can get a real taste for what others think. If you’re curious, you can also explore the details of other Total Restore ingredients and flip through the extensive library of breakdowns about its beneficial ingredients. Just make sure to get your doctor’s approval before beginning any new supplement routine.
FIND N-ACETYL-D-GLUCOSAMINE IN TOTAL RESTORE
- Sources
- 1-3 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-81-322-2511-9_11
- 4 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265748
- 5 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/scientifica/2012/489208/
- 6-9 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2953398/
- 10 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17578751/
- 11 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2953398/
