The US-based Natural Products Association (NPA) has advised consumers to be “circumspect” about a recent study linking glucosamine supplementation with accelerated progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease.

The NPA says the study findings disclosed preliminary results that require validation in a human clinical trial and “omitted a number of key confounding factors”.

Commenting, NPA President and CEO Daniel Fabricant, said: “There is no conclusive evidence that glucosamine dietary supplements increase the likelihood of death within a specific time frame or accelerate progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers’ analysis of patients’ electronic health records does not establish causality, and they did not account for hidden variables or confounding factors, such as diets high in ultra-processed foods or advanced glycation end products (AGEs).”

The NPA points to a growing body of research showing that foods high in AGEs — typically heavily cooked, browned, or highly processed meats and fats — contribute to oxidative stress and promote protein clumping in the brain found in Alzheimer’s patients.

“While the analysis controlled for age, sex and demographics, the study leaves too many unanswered questions about variables other than glucosamine supplements that may have contributed to a progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia,” Fabricant said. “This includes but is not limited to frequent consumption of ultra-processed, sugary foods, which are theorized to accelerate the type of metabolic defect described in the study. Until human clinical research is conducted to eliminate such confounders, we urge consumers of glucosamine supplements to be circumspect about the study’s preliminary findings.”

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