PlainVitamins

Glucosamine Complex

by Pure Encapsulations · capsule · 180 capsules

  • On the market (NIH)
  • UPC 7 66298 00128 9
  • DSLD label 277681
  • Serving 1 capsule
  • 180 servings

Glucosamine Complex by Pure Encapsulations lists 4 ingredients, 4 with an amount per serving of 1 capsule, such as 2 mg of manganese, 250 mg of glucosamine sulfate, 250 mg of glucosamine HCl and 250 mg of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. Its current label entered the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database on March 22, 2023.

What is in Glucosamine Complex?

Each row as the label prints it, per serving of 1 capsule. The capsule beside an amount places it among every product in the NIH database that lists the same ingredient: the bar is the middle half of their amounts, the line in it the median, the whiskers the 10th and 90th percentiles; the green tick is the FDA Daily Value and the red dashed tick the adult upper limit (IOM).

Glucosamine Complex: Supplement Facts rows against the market (DSLD label 277681, January 2026 release)
IngredientAmount% DVAmong products listing it
Manganeseas Manganese AscorbateManganese (Form: as Manganese Ascorbate)2 mg87%Manganese in Glucosamine Complex against 7,016 products2 mg per serving; the middle half of products list 1 mg to 3.92 mg, the median 2 mg.DV 2.3 mgUL 11 mg2 mg

38% of 7,016 products listing manganese give more (median 2 mg).

Glucosamine Sulfateas Crab, ShrimpGlucosamine Sulfate (Form: from Crab, Shrimp)250 mgGlucosamine Sulfate in Glucosamine Complex against 875 products0.25 g per serving; the middle half of products list 0.5 g to 1.5 g, the median 1 g.0.25 g

89% of 875 products listing glucosamine sulfate give more (median 1 g).

Glucosamine HClas Crab, ShrimpGlucosamine HCl (Form: from Crab, Shrimp)250 mgGlucosamine Hydrochloride in Glucosamine Complex against 628 products0.25 g per serving; the middle half of products list 0.75 g to 1.5 g, the median 1.5 g.0.25 g

91% of 628 products listing glucosamine hydrochloride give more (median 1.5 g).

N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamineas Crab, ShrimpN-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine (Form: from Crab, Shrimp)250 mgN-Acetyl Glucosamine in Glucosamine Complex against 148 products250 mg per serving; the middle half of products list 79 mg to 500 mg, the median 250 mg.250 mg

46% of 148 products listing N-acetyl glucosamine give more (median 250 mg).

Source: NIH ODS Dietary Supplement Label Database, label 277681 (entered March 22, 2023), version 9.4.0. See the label on DSLD or its label image (PDF). Amounts are what the maker printed; DSLD does not test products. Daily Values: the FDA's Daily Value page.

Is that a lot?

The rows in the top or bottom tenth of the products that list the same ingredient, and any above the adult upper limit at the most servings a day the directions give:

  • 89% of the 875 products that print an amount of glucosamine sulfate list more than its 0.25 g of glucosamine sulfate (median 1 g).
  • 91% of the 628 products that print an amount of glucosamine hydrochloride list more than its 0.25 g of glucosamine HCl (filed by NIH under glucosamine hydrochloride) (median 1.5 g).

The NIH database records one serving a day from the label's directions; its % Daily Values are for adults and children 4 or more years of age. The directions as printed are further down this page.

The Tolerable Upper Intake Level is the most of a nutrient per day, from food, water and supplements together, that is likely to pose no risk for almost all adults (Institute of Medicine, 2011). It does not apply under medical supervision. This page compares labels; it is not medical advice.

Sources: amounts from the DSLD label; Daily Values from 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv); adult upper limits from the Institute of Medicine's DRI summary tables (2011). How positions are computed.

Which products have the closest formulas?

The products whose ingredient lists overlap most with Glucosamine Complex's, rare ingredients counting for more.

Source: ingredient lists of every product's current label in DSLD (version 9.4.0); similarity weights each shared ingredient by how rare it is.

What does the label say about taking it?

Quoted from the label as DSLD transcribed it: the maker's words, including any claim about what the product does, which the FDA has not evaluated and PlainVitamins does not endorse.

Directions
Recommendations: As a dietary supplement, take 1 capsule daily, with a meal, or as directed by a health professional.
Warnings
Warning: If you are pregnant or lactating, have any health condition or are taking any medication, consult your health professional before use.
Do not take if you are sensitive to shellfish.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Use only if safety seal is intact.
Contains shellfish (crab, shrimp)
Allergens and what it does not contain
Gluten-free & Non-GMO
Storage
Store in a cool, dry place.

Source: label statements in DSLD label 277681.

What else is on the label?

Other ingredients: Vegetarian Capsule, Ascorbyl Palmitate.

Seals and symbols as the label prints them (the maker's; a certifier's own list confirms a seal): GFCO.org Certified Gluten-Free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization, www.gluten.org. Listed with: Certified gluten-free (GFCO) (a seal is the label's claim; the certifier's own list confirms it).

How many labels does Glucosamine Complex have?

3 labels are on file under this name since October 25, 2018: other sizes, label designs and reformulations. The current one leads this page.

  1. Label 277681 (current) Entered March 22, 2023 · on the market · 180 capsules · UPC 7 66298 00128 9
  2. Label 218920 Entered April 23, 2020 · off the market October 22, 2018 · 180 capsules · UPC 7 66298 00128 9
  3. Label 182942 Entered October 25, 2018 · off the market March 22, 2022 · 180 capsules · UPC 7 66298 00128 9

Source: DSLD label entry and market events, version 9.4.0 (labels entered through September 25, 2025).

Who makes it?

The label names Pure Encapsulations (manufacturer), Sudbury, MA. All Pure Encapsulations products.

Where next?