Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate vs. Bovine-source chondroitin sulfate (bovine cartilage)
Among 340 on-market chondroitin sulfate products with an identifiable primary form, 73.2% use Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate (249 products) and 15.9% use Bovine-source chondroitin sulfate (bovine cartilage) (54).
| Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate | Bovine-source chondroitin sulfate (bovine cartilage) | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Unrated | Unrated |
| Chondroitin Sulfate by weight | — | — |
| Share of market | 73.2% | 15.9% |
| On-market products | 249 | 54 |
| Median declared dose | 900 mg middle half: 400–1,200 | 400 mg middle half: 250–800 |
| Most common brands | NOW, GNC, GNC Triflex | Pure Encapsulations, Biotics Research Corporation, Natural Factors |
Doses are declared per serving in mg. “By weight” is the share of the ingredient that is the nutrient itself (e.g. elemental magnesium in a magnesium salt).
Why Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate is unrated
The most common salt on labels; the positive STOPP trial used chondroitin 4&6 sulfate 800 mg/day but the abstract does not state the salt, and no human study comparing sodium vs calcium salts was located, so it is not ranked.
Source: Kahan A et al. 2009, Arthritis Rheum 60(2):524-533, PMID 19180484
Why Bovine-source chondroitin sulfate (bovine cartilage) is unrated
Animal-source descriptor (sulfation pattern differs by source) with no verified human efficacy or absorption comparison between sources, so it is not ranked.