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Managing arthritis - diet

Submitted by admin on March 14, 2008 - 2:16pm.

 

Nutrition and diet play several important roles in the management of knee arthritis.

 

Knee arthritis and weight reduction

It has been medically shown that even modest weight loss makes a big difference to knee pain, as for each unit of weight lost there is a four-fold decrease in the unit of load on the knee.

As osteoarthritis of the knee often has a physical originating cause (eg. meniscal tear), it is clear that even small people may suffer from arthritis. Being overweight, however, simply puts more strain on the joints and most sensible weight reduction regimes will benefit arthritis sufferers

You can check your ideal weight on average height and weight charts.

 

Knee arthritis and chronic dehydration

There are several studies which indicate that we do not drink enough water (on its own - not in coffee, tea or soft drinks) - and that this chronic dehydration can aggravate arthritic pain.


Arthritis and dietary supplements

Certain supplements are of particular interest in arthritis -

  • omega 3 fatty acids - are known to reduce the production of inflammatory substances in the body. 2-4 gm per day are recommended. They are commonly obtained from fish oils such as cod liver oil, but vegetarian sources, eg walnuts, are also readily available.
  • glucosamine - recommended at doses of 1,500 mg per day, glucosamine appears to enhance cartilage production and reduce arthritic pain
  • chondroitin sulphate - recommended at doses of 1,200 mg a day. Appears to slow cartilage breakdown and also reduce arthritic pain.
  • MSM

A combination of glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM is the most economical way to take the last three supplements. The tablets can be quite large and a liquid drink is a palatable alternative.

 

Arthritis, processed food and food allergy

This excellent book challenges the Arthritis Foundation, and highlights research showing links between arthritis and what we eat - 

How to eat away arthritis: Gain Relief from the Pain and Discomfort of Arthritis Through Nature's Remedies. by Laurie M Aesoph

Medical research has also found a link between smoking and the development of osteoarthritis.

 

Fibromyalgia diets

Fibromyalgia is becoming an important topic when it comes to joint pain. This is a syndrome - a group of symptoms - where joint and muscle pain predominate, and which might be dismissed as 'arthritis'.

There are four very good publications on the web (by the same author) which cover this topic well -

1 Fibromyalgia - the muscle pain epidemic - (Part 1)

2 Understanding and treating chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia - (Part 2)

3 Chronic fatigue / fibromyalgia - (Part 3)

4 What treatment seems most effective in treatment of fibromyalgia - (Part 4)

 

Diets for gouty arthritis

Some arthritic disorders are specifically triggered or aggravated by particular foods, eg gout.

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