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Which supplements help your joints
The short answer. What holds up with sources is short: omega 3, about €1.22 a month at the dose used in the studies. This page lists 4 supplements with evidence for this goal, and 1 sold for it that you do not need.
Here the evidence is weak almost across the board, and that is worth saying first: we are talking about less pain, not new cartilage, and effects take months.
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The basics, and what they cost
Omega 3
€1.22a month
250 mg a day of EPA+DHA combined as a general reference. Uses at 2-3 g are something else and have a doctor behind them.
Cheapest at that dose: Mensan Omega 3 660 Mg 220 Perlas from Bulevip, €0.041/capsule.
€1.22 a month in total, adding up omega 3 at one effective dose a day with the cheapest product that reaches that dose. It is not a medical recommendation or a plan: it is what the evidence-backed options cost today, in the stores this site compares.
The 4 with something behind them
By evidence level and monthly cost
| Supplement | Evidence | What has been measured | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omega 3250 mg a day of EPA+DHA combined as a general reference. Uses at 2-3 g are something else and have a doctor behind them. | Strong evidence152 products compared · best score: Mensan Omega 3 660 Mg 220 Perlas from Bulevip | Blood triglycerides: -20 to -30 %EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fats. EFSA Journal. 2010;8(3):1461. Ingesta adecuada de 250 mg diarios de EPA+DHA. | €1.22 |
| MagnesiumWhatever is missing to get close to the day’s 375 mg counting food, not the whole tub by default. | Moderate evidence154 products compared · best score: Santiveri Santiveres Cloruro de Magnesio 200 caps from PromoFarma | Functions authorised in the EU: muscle, nervous system and tirednessReglamento (UE) 1169/2011 sobre la informacion alimentaria facilitada al consumidor, Anexo XIII: valores de referencia de nutrientes. Magnesio, 375 mg. | €1.61 |
| Turmeric500 to 1000 mg of curcuminoids a day, in two servings. | Moderate evidence114 products compared · best score: Cúrcuma con Jengibre y Pimienta Negra 1500mg | 1 Año de Suministro - 365 Comprimidos Veganos | con Curcuminoides y Gingeroles | Turmeric Complex con Piperina | Horbaach from Amazon | Joint pain (knee osteoarthritis): improves versus placeboDaily JW, Yang M, Park S. Efficacy of turmeric extracts and curcumin for alleviating the symptoms of joint arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Med Food. 2016;19(8):717-729. Alrededor de 1000 mg/dia de curcuminoides en los ensayos incluidos. | €5.00 |
| Collagen10 to 15 g of hydrolysed collagen or gelatin, with about 50 mg of vitamin C. | Moderate evidence168 products compared · best score: HSN Raw Series Colágeno hidrolizado (bovino) en polvo 1Kg from HSN | Collagen synthesis (PINP marker in blood): x2Shaw G et al. Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105(1):136-143. 15 g de gelatina con vitamina C una hora antes del ejercicio. | €6.25 |
The 1 they will try to sell you for this
Weak evidence, supplement price
Reviews find no consistent effect. It is listed because it sells, not because it works.
| Supplement | What has been measured | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Glucosamine and chondroitinGlucosamine and chondroitin are the classic joint supplements, and also the ones that have aged worst. | Knee pain across the whole trial: no differenceClegg DO et al. Glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and the two in combination for painful knee osteoarthritis. N Engl J Med. 2006;354(8):795-808. 1500 mg de glucosamina y 1200 mg de condroitina; sin diferencia frente a placebo en el analisis principal. | €2.11 |
Weak evidence is not fraud. It means the effect does not show up when diet already fills the gap, or that the studies behind it are small, short or paid for by the seller. Each guide says in which specific case it does make sense, which almost always exists and is almost never the case of the person buying it.
Questions about supplements for: joints
Answered with the data on this page
- Which supplements should you take to joints?
- The minimum you can defend with sources is omega 3, which at the dose used in the studies comes to €1.22 a month buying the cheapest that reaches that dose. Beyond that, this page lists another 3 with evidence behind them, each for a specific case.
- And glucosamine and chondroitin?
- Glucosamine and chondroitin has weak evidence for this: Reviews find no consistent effect. It is listed because it sells, not because it works. They are sold a lot for this goal and each has its own guide with the sources, so the decision does not depend on what a label says.
- Where do these prices come from?
- From the 4065 products this site collects across 19 Spanish stores, with prices from October 15, 2026. The monthly cost is one effective dose a day for 30 days, with the cheapest product that reaches that dose. The evidence was reviewed on September 4, 2026.
Other goals
The same list, another question