Does Supple help arthritis pain? Supple® is a dietary supplement marketed on TV in the infomercial called “Smart Medicine”. As an aside, the infomercial looks a lot like the Larry King Show. The host of the infomercial is Dr Monita Poudyal. The person she interviews is Peter Apatow, CEO of Supple Beverages. The Supple TV commercial looks impressive but does Supple work? Let’s now look at Supple, the claims made during the infomercial and see what can be determined.
Supple is a dietary supplement. Supple is not a prescription or over-the-counter drug. It’s said that the ingredients in Supple have been used alongside medications in other countries. A disclaimer is spoken before the infomercial starts. The person speaking the disclaimer sounds very much like Dr Monita Poudyal, who is hosting the infomercial.
During the infomercial, It is stated that supple can help:
- Gout
- Fibromyalgia
- Joint pain
- Back pain
- muscle pain
- weakness and fatigue
- Weight loss
- Carpel tunnel
The active ingredients in Supple are glucosamine HCL and chondroitin sulfate which are found in other supplements to help ease the pain of osteoarthritis (OA). I am not aware of any published peer reviewed studies showing that the active ingredients in Supple help any condition other than osteoarthritis. Also, not all studies show that these ingredients work.
The Supple Company
According to the Supple website, the company is located at 355 Byrd Ave Neenah Wisconsin. The link is a Google Street view of the company location. As you can see, the picture appears to be of a parking lot attached to a building. I did not see any building called “Supple.”
Supple customer service can be reached by calling 1-866-219-6371 from 7 AM — 11 PM CST, Monday — Friday, and from 7 AM — 5 PM on Saturday. According to the Better Business Bureau, Supple LLC is also called Supple Beverages LLC.
The BBB gives Supple Beverages a rating of “A+” when this review was created. According to the Better Business Bureau, the company Supple LLC was formed in 2001 in Colorado. The BBB file on the company was opened in 2008. See the BBB file on Supple LLC for updates and more information.
Supple Ingredients
According to the Supple website (supplebodies.com) 1 bottle of (300 ml or about 10 oz) has 30 calories. Supple contains the following active ingredients.
- Glucosamine HCL 1500 mg
- Chondroitin Sulfate 1200 mg
Supple also contains several vitamins such as vitamin C, D and E as well as niacin, calcium and others. Some of these nutrients may play a role in bone health (mostly vitamin C, D and calcium) but, with the exception of maybe vitamin D, most people in the industrialized world are not deficient in these vitamins or minerals. As such, I dont think they add anything to the effectiveness of Supple for arthritis.
Glucosamine HCL: The Evidence
Some research studies have noted that glucosamine HCL may help reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA). But, when we look at the research we find that there are more studies in support of glucosamine sulfate than for glucosamine HCL.
When I looked at the research, I found over 10 studies noting that glucosamine sulfate appeared to help arthritis pain. The evidence for glucosamine HCL is less convincing, with far fewer studies showing that it works. Here is a study noting that glucosamine HCL doesn't work.
This does not mean that glucosamine HCL will not help some people. But, it may not be as effective as glucosamine sulfate. Some research even hits that the sulfate in glucosamine sulfate may be responsible for its pain modifying effects.
Since glucosamine HCL does not have sulfate, it might be expected to be less effective.
Here is a study using pig cells that noted that glucosamine sulfate was better than glucosamine HCL.
Given that most of the well-done peer reviewed research appears to favor glucosamine sulfate, I have often been perplexed that most glucosamine products sold in America contain glucosamine HCL. Just go to your local health food store or supermarket and look at the popular brands sold today and you can see this for yourself.
For those interested, here is glucosamine sulfate on Amazon.
Regardless of which type of glucosamine you use, one thing is clear; glucosamine does not re-grow cartilage. This is a myth.
Glucosamine HCL is also found in Joint Juice too. You've probably seen this product at your local supermarket. Click the link to see my review on that product.
Supple and RA
Does Supple help rheumatoid arthritis? In 2007 there was a study published titled, Effects of glucosamine administration on patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In this study, which consisted of 51 people with RA, those who received 1500 mg of glucosamine HCL per day for 12 weeks – along with their arthritis medications – reported that their pain felt better than those who received a placebo.
The way people reported feeling better in this study consisted on rating their pain on a scale from 0-10 or from another test called the Face Scale, where people pointed to pictures of faces that represented different emotions.
Here's the thing. The blood test measurements in the study were confusing in that some inflammation markers such as CRP (C Reactive Protein) did not change in those who took glucosamine, while another marker (called MMP-3) was reduced.
While some might say that a study like this could lend some evidence that glucosamine HCL helps RA, this is just a single study – and more importantly – it doesn't seem to have been replicated. This study was conducted in 2007 so why no follow up studies?
Chondroitin Sulfate: The Evidence
Does chondroitin sulfate help osteoarthritis? The evidence appears to be less solid than for that of glucosamine sulfate. This is most likely due to the lack of well-controlled research. A few studies have noted that chondroitin sulfate may slow down the joint space degeneration that occurs with OA. That is interesting. The problem is that studies do not consistently show that chondroitin works.
There is no published peer reviewed proof that chondroitin sulfate helps gout, fibromyalgia, carple tunnel syndrome or weight loss as is intimated in the Supple infomercial.
It appears that chondroitin sulfate levels are increased in men who have prostate cancer. At this point, nobody is saying that chondroitin sulfate causes prostate cancer. However, I feel it would be wise to avoid supplements that contain chondroitin sulfate until more is known. Do ask your doctor about this possible connection.
Chondroitin sulfate doe appear to have blood thinner properties. As such those who take blood thinner medications (Coumadin / warfarin) should use caution. Chondroitin sulfate may make asthma symptoms worse.
Peter Apatow, the CEO of the company that makes Supple states in the Supple infomercial he says that you have to take the combination of glucosamine HCL and chondroitin sulfate to get the maximum benefits. But this is not what the research shows. Studies have not consistently shown that the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin work better.
Supple: Other Ingredients
Supple contains several other ingredients like vitamins C, D, and E, as well as some B vitamins. None of these nutrients appear to have any significant peer-reviewed published evidence to support their use in helping OA pain. Supple does contain a little calcium. Some research finds that calcium may help OA, but Supple only contains 8% of the daily value of calcium. That’s not a lot. One cup of milk has 30% of the DV for calcium.
What is Rebaudioside A?
At the very bottom of the Supple label of ingredients is Rebaudioside A, This is another name for Stevia, a natural sweetener. Rebaudioside A is a component of stevia but these names are often used interchangeably in the US.
Does Supple Help Weight Loss?
There is no published peer-reviewed proof that glucosamine HCL or chondroitin sulfate or their combination help weight loss. In the infomercial, Peter Apatow says he lost 30 pounds by using Supple AND exercising. To his credit, he does not say specifically that Supple will cause weight loss. Rather, he states that supple might help relieve joint pain and allow people to move more. This does make sense. Supple alone, however, will not promote weight loss.
The infomercial mentions that Supple can be used as a snack. Since a bottle of Supple is only 30 calories, I can understand how someone would lose weight if they used Supple as a low-calorie snack in place of a meal and did not eat as many calories as they normally did. However, Supple, without changing eating patterns, will not cause weight loss.
Who Is Dr Monita Poudyal?
Dr Monita Poudyal is the “host” of the Supple infomercial. She is indeed a physician, and from what I can tell, she specializes in internal medicine and nephrology (kidney disorders) in Colorado.
Dr Poudyl is highly educated and she is the reason why I investigated Supple. Since I know the research behind glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate I was surprised that she would not challenge the fantastic claims about how Supple is supposed to rebuild cartilage as well as help other conditions that research does not support.
At the time the Supple commercial was made Dr. Poudyal was married of Peter Apatow. That fact was not disclosed in the infomercial. According to this article from ConsumerAffairs, they are now divorded.
One meta analysis did find that long term use of glucosamine sulfate (but not glucosamine HCL) might slow down cartilage breakdown but no study has ever shown a reversal of osteoarthritis.
At the start of the infomercial, Dr Poudyal says :
“the standard of care for the treatment of joint pain includes the use of safe, disease-modifying drugs that can naturally reverse the cartilage breakdown that occurs in osteoarthritis.”
Dr Poudyal goes on to say “These agents are not widely available in the u.s.”.
These statements by Dr. Poudyal are not entirely correct. Here's why:
- Glucosamine and chondroitin are not drugs. They are over-the-counter dietary supplements.
- Neither glucosamine HCL or chondroitin sulfate has been shown to reverse cartilage breakdown. Some research has noted that glucosamine sulfate may slow the progression of osteoarthritis; other research hints that chondroitin sulfate may slow the narrowing of joint space in those with osteoarthritis; So in these respects, they may modify the disease” but they do not “reverse” cartilage breakdown.
- The ingredients in Supple ARE available in the US. Many products contain glucosamine HCL and chondroitin sulfate. Go to your local supermarket and check out the arthritis supplements. You'll see I am right. The majority of glucosamine products sold in supermarkets contain glucosamine HCL. One such is example is Joint Juice which I've reviewed previously.
Supple LLC and The FTC
In 2016 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined the makers of supple $150 million dollars for making false claims about their product. According to Wisconsin Public Radio, the company might only have to pay $285,000 “because of the financial condition of Supple and Aptow.” Here is an FTC press release on Supple dated October 5 2016.
Supple Side Effects?
I'm not aware of any side effects from the Supple drink itself. I believe in generally healthy people, Supple is likely safe. That said, I wanted to mention a few potential side effects of some of the ingredients in Supple in the hopes that people will speak to their doctor for a more in depth discussion.
There is some evidence that glucosamine might make asthma worse.
Because both glucosamine and chondroitin appear to have a blood thinner effect, those who take blood thinner drugs should ask their doctor before using these supplements.
Since chondroitin sulfate is often derived from cows, some have wondered if chondroitin sulfate supplements might in theory transmit mad cow disease. This, is probably very unlikely. All well established supplement companies go to great strides to ensure the purity of their products. No supplement has ever been linked cause mad cow disease transmission in the US. To be safe, deal with companies you trust and ask them what countries they get their chondroitin sulfate from and compare that to countries with low levels of mad cow disease.
Because glucosamine contains the sugar glucose, this might be a problem for diabetics. Glucosamine might raise blood sugar levels.
The use of Chondroitin sulfate by men is controversial because of some evidence that it may be linked to prostate cancer. For more information on this see my review of chrondroitin sulfate and prostate cancer.
Does Supple Work?
It’s possible that Supple might in some people who have mild osteoarthritis. My question is will it work better than other, cheaper products? Supple is pretty expensive. On the product website a 24 day supply cost $47.95 Plus 14.95 shipping and handling (by the way, I think that's a LOT for shipping and handling).
Joe thank you we need people like you, I almost was going to buy.
Mario, thanks I appreciate that!
Let me tell you this, I work for UPS, and the rate that they are charging you for shipping is crazy, thats why he has the 100% money back, because he will make his money with the shipping rate no matter what, big scam preying on hurting people.
Hi Joe
I had my husband specifically ask that question when he called because the commercial does not mention RA specifically… The rep on the phone told him it would…???
Wendy, I believe that their customer service misspoke. I’ve never seen a study where glucosamine helped Rheumatoid arthritis.
A friend told me about supple today, she is in her 40’s and has RA, she said her and her boyfriend have both been taking it for 4 months now and she swears by it, showed me her hands and said her swollen painful knuckles have greatly improved. I am going to order some for my husband who has arthritis from back injury, I am ordering from eBay though, cheaper. Will let you know if it helps him.
Cathy, yes keep me posted. I’ve never heard of Sensa helping RA. I’ll check the TV commercial next time its on to see if they mention it.
I just saw the infomercial this morning and I’m not sure if they claimed it works for RA but they did have at least one testimonial for RA.
Donna, Ive heard a few people say glucosamine helps RA but Im not aware of any good proof of it.
I agree with you Joe, Supple doesn’t work, I tried supple for 2 months, I think it taste horrible and it gave me gas pains. I give it a neg 10. Way to expensive.
Hi joe I just read your article, my husband ordered supple for me and I just received it. Still haven’t taken it wanted to read some reviews first. The infomercial is definitely exaggerated but I guess we were anxious to find treatment for my rheumatoid arthritis that didn’t have such harsh side effects!
I’ve been recently diagnosed with RA and was prescribed humira but the side effect of possible tuberculosis and /or lymphoma is really scary but the progression of joint damage, pain, immobility and degeneration with out treatment is scary as well. With your review I do realize that the ingredients in supple are accessible as separate supplements without the pricey tag! I will discuss with my rheumatologist… Thanks for the helpful information! Wish there was “safe” treatment!
Hi Wendy, Remember RA and OA (osteo-arthritis) are different. the ingredients in Supple might help osteoarthritis but I dont think it will help RA (did they say Supple would help RA in the TV commercial?). There is a new Supple commercial out. Ill try to take a look at it and see what is said.
If you read the fine print, it mentions that Peter Apatow recently married that host woman. It’s a typical husband-wife scam.
I too was considering Supple. I called but did not order. I do not order any supplement thru mail Cannot afford the extra. when I checked the ingredients and I found that I am already taking supplements that cover the same same area Women’s one a day, calcium with D.and combo Glucosamine /chrodrodin sulfate, total it cost me about O My insurance gives me these free Thank for your info,
My first time at your site but will keep watching
Neither Glucosamine phosphate nor glucosamine chloride are controlled by FDA. Those are supplements and minerals. Minerals and vitamins are not controlled by FDA. We do not know as a consumer whether they work or not. i think Europe does a better job informing their citizens than us. Shame on us.
So, we need to have a study done on supple either to disprove or approve it and then inform the consumer. if informecials should not be allowed to release untrue show.
Do you have suggestions for hip pain? I only seem to have pain when trying to sleep. Thank you, Donna
Donna,I do not because hip pain can be caused by many different things. in some cases a simple stretching program can help. in other cases other things may be needed. I’m going to recommend you see your doctor and get checked out. if everything is ok, ask to get some physical therapy. I think that is the best course of action to give you the answers you are seeking.
Joe, love your site. Please be patient with me, need a lot of help for family. My 33 year old son-in-law has just found out he has MS, anything to help that?
My wife has recently been diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis, severe pain along with rash is settled in her right heel/Achilles Tendon, very hard to walk sometimes, so bad she literally wants to have it amputated sometimes!
Rheumatolgist put her on methotrexate helps a “little”, we’ve tried Curamin that the “Medicine Hunter” recommends, not sure if it helps??? Do you have any recommendations for my wife? She also smokes and needs help to quit.
I have high blood pressure, 55 year old male, non smoker, overweight and working on loosing it and I know that will help, until then any recommendations what to take “naturally” for blood pressure?
One last question, my dear 70 year old Uncle has lung fibrosis and also has severe pain in his wrists and hands, this has come up in the last 2 years, prior to that in pretty good health other than sleep apnea, any recommendations for him, he is now overweight as well? Thanks for listening….
Hi Allan
probably the thing that has the most research for MS is vitamin D. I’m sure you are probably already aware of this. the research generally shows low vitamin D is linked to greater MS risk .
there is some research that magnesium may help MS muscle spacicity . here is a link
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11136367?dopt=Abstract
I would also advise looking at exercise also if possible. it will help reduce heart disease and osteoporosis which and accompany MS as it gets worse.
as for Psoriatic Arthritis, I’m not sure what natural therapies can help. I did locate a study which seemed to show that mineral baths might help but its just one study. its called Balneotherapy . here is the link
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11344827?dopt=Abstract
Curamin. Ive added it to my list of products to review. I’m not sure at this point. if it helps let me know.
tell your wife that smoking will make her arthritis worse. it causes cellular inflammation. that’s bad for arthritis. it also speeds osteoporosis and heart disease. The MS society also thinks smoking increases the risk of MS . here is the link
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/treatments/exacerbations/smoking-and-alcohol/index.aspx
for high blood pressure, the first thing Id say is try to lose weight. even 10 pounds might help do the trick for you. when your wife smokes Id also try not to be exposed to the 2nd hand smoke. this can raise your blood pressure too. I don’t recommend ANY weight loss pill supplements that have stimulants – including caffeine. CoQ10 supplements may help lower blood pressure too. always take with food as its fat soluble . here is a link
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7752851?dopt=Abstract
for your uncle. get his vitamin D levels checked by his doctor. lack of vitamin D can cause bone pain. vitamin D is stored in fat cells and since he is overweight I wonder if all the vitamin D is in his fat cells and not elsewhere, where its needed. he’s older and his skin probably does not make vitamin D as well as younger people do – and he probably does not go outside as much either, which is compounding the problem. I think getting looked at by his doctor is good if he has not done so lately.
I hope some of this helps Allan
Hi Joe,
I too saw the infomercial this morning and it sounded like it might be a good option? I am 54 years old and have knee and neck pain from playing basketball for 2 hours twice a week.. My wife, who is 49, and daughter, who is 19, have Fibromyalgia and joint pain. So I am willing to give this a try if it has a realistic chance of working.
I have taken supplements for sometime and the best that I have found is MRM Joint Synergy+. It has really helped my knees and I am still able to play basketball as long as I keep taking it. So my question is do you think that Supple would be a better option than what I am taking now and do you think it would help my wife and daughter?
Thanks,
Dale
hi dale, Id say stick to the synergy supplement if its already helping you. ive never seen a comparison of supple to mrm synergy so im not sure if its better or not.
you mentioned your wife and daughter have fibromyalgia. check out my review of Ribose if you have not heard of it yet.
Ribose did not work for my fibro.
Elle, thanks for the feedback on that!
Hi,
Thank you for doing research others can benefit from without spending the many hours it takes to thoroughly check many pieces of information.
I’m interested in trying glucosamine sulfate or the combination of supplements in Supple. (for pain in knees)
However, I’d be lost, lost, lost in a supplement store and would not want to rely on a cashier recommendation for what to buy and how much to take.
So, if there is any truth to Supple being helpful, I could find a supplement which has close to same active ingredient amounts and I might get the benefit at far less cost.
Are these dosages reasonable? (Glucosamine HCL 1500 mg and Chondroitin Sulfate 1200 mg)
Nancy, yes those are reasonable amounts I have seen in research. my only word on this is Supple has glucosamine HCL and not glusosamine sulfate. Thats not to say the HCL version wont work (it seems to for mild osteoarthritis) but that I see more proof for glucosamine sulfate – which Supple does not have.
read the back labels of the product to see what version of glucosamine it has.
When I said difficult to get information on this company, I meant independent information. Even the FDA was not helpful.
I was trying to get some information on Supple for my sister who has osteoarthritis. She’s been on it for 8 days and is feeling worse. It’s very difficult getting information on this company which leaves me to wonder why. I will forward this site to my sister.
thank you.
Thanks Janet, I’m glad I could help. I hope your sister feels better soon.
I am ordering it, no other glucosamine seems to be working for me. Im using dmso now and its okay but i believe my pain is worse then most. I wasted hundreds of dollars and might as well give it a try. Its not a scam and i do agree about alot of products not containing what it says.
I also tried arthri D and the pain cream was great but expensive. In fact best i ever used.
Joe – Thank you for the info on Supple. I have RA with severe calcium build up in my back. My Rheumatologist
has tried infusions and medications but I am still in pain. Do you know of any supplements I can take? I am on lots of vitamins. I also have liver problems so I am limited to certain medications I can take.
Thank you – I am defiantly placing you on my desktop and getting your updates.
Cathi
hi cathi, are you taking fish oil supplements o eating fish a few times a week? there are several studies of it helping RA. talk to your doctor first if you take any meds just in case theres an interaction.
do read my post on how to read the fish oil label as they can be tricky on some brands to read
glad you found me:)
I was seriously thinking about purchasing this product but I am so glad I found your site before purchasing it. I was just recently diagnosed with RA and just started with my Rhuemy as well. Is there any info you can share that helps with RA i can discuss with my doctor?
hi mary. ask him/her about fish oil supplements
Appreciate your info, as I, too was considering Supple.
What’s the research on Sam-E for arthritis?
Beth, there are several studies on SAMe and osteoarthritis can help osteoarthritis pain here is one such study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8064733?dopt=Abstract
It looks like people start to feel better after about a month.
if you take any medications for depression do run SAMe past a pharmacist or your doctor first because it might interact with them. The same thing goes if you take Demerol for pain.
For people taking fish oil… research Krill oil. Important, as it is has superior benefits compares to cod liver oil or fish oil. Myself, and others did a lot of research.
Lori, thanks for sharing. In case you missed it here is my review on Krill oil http://supplementclarity.com/krill-oil-fish-oil-krill-oil-benefits-side-effects/
What about astaxanthin? From krill? For a. s. and fibro pain?
Elle, never heard of that but i do have a krill oil review and a review on ribose and fibromyalgia if that helps.