Eat to Beat Knee Osteoarthritis and Other Aching Joints
6 Natural Ways to Ease Symptoms of Arthritis
Medications provide proven arthritis pain relief. But natural remedies are also as close and convenient as your supermarket. The newest studies show the keys to beating knee osteoarthritis and other painful joints may be through your stomach. From fatty fish to tart cherries, here are the right foods and supplements to ease arthritis pain...
Good news for those of us who have osteoarthritis and like to eat: The latest osteoarthritis studies suggest certain foods and vitamins, many found in Mediterranean diets, may ease knee osteoarthritis, keep the condition from worsening, or help stop it in the first place.
There’s a huge drive “to find natural approaches to treating medical conditions like osteoarthritis,” says Timothy McAlindon, M.D., chief of rheumatology at Tufts Medical Center in Cambridge, Mass.
In fact, this research is so cutting-edge, experts say, they’re still working on official guidelines.
“The real challenge is to have information that says how much people should take,” says John Hardin, M.D., chief scientific officer for the Arthritis Foundation.
Research is ongoing but here’s the latest on vitamins, like C and K, and super-foods such as fish and cherries that may provide arthritis pain relief:
Good news for those of us who have osteoarthritis and like to eat: The latest osteoarthritis studies suggest certain foods and vitamins, many found in Mediterranean diets, may ease knee osteoarthritis, keep the condition from worsening, or help stop it in the first place.
There’s a huge drive “to find natural approaches to treating medical conditions like osteoarthritis,” says Timothy McAlindon, M.D., chief of rheumatology at Tufts Medical Center in Cambridge, Mass.
In fact, this research is so cutting-edge, experts say, they’re still working on official guidelines.
“The real challenge is to have information that says how much people should take,” says John Hardin, M.D., chief scientific officer for the Arthritis Foundation.
Research is ongoing but here’s the latest on vitamins, like C and K, and super-foods such as fish and cherries that may provide arthritis pain relief:
1. Mediterranean foodsPeople in Greece and Italy eat lots of fruits and vegetables, with an emphasis on lean meat, fish, whole grains and olive oil.
It’s a diet that promotes a healthy weight and greater joint health, studies show.
Women with arthritis who learned to cook Mediterranean-style – and ate more produce, beans and olive oil – had less pain and morning stiffness after six months than those who didn’t make those dietary changes, according to a 2007 Scottish study.
A clear cause-and-effect hasn’t been found, but one reason may be that this diet is brimming with antioxidants – including vitamin C – and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which have been associated with an improvement in symptoms of arthritis.
Plus, people who follow the Mediterranean diet tend to lose weight, which eases arthritis discomfort.
With each pound you gain, the overall force across your knee increases by 2-3 pounds; shedding pounds has the opposite effect.
Heavy people who lost just 5% of their body weight lowered their risk for knee osteoarthritis by 5%, according to a 2010 study by the University of North Carolina’s Thurston Arthritis Research Center in Chapel Hill. - See more at: http://www.lifescript.com/health/centers/osteoarthritis/articles/eat_to_beat_knee_osteoarthritis_and_other_aching_joints.aspx?_page=2#sthash.cIYjRCc7.dpuf
What to do: Check out the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, which recommends basing meals on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, legumes, seeds, herbs and spices; eating fish or seafood at least twice per week; moderate portions of yogurt, cheese and eggs; eating meats and sweets less often; drinking water instead of soda or artificially sweetened beverages; and having a glass of wine a day.
To get started, try these 10 Mouth-Watering Mediterranean Recipes.
Where to find it: Shop in your supermarket’s produce and seafood sections as well as the outer aisles, which usually stock whole meats and dairy instead of processed foods and starches.
2. Selenium This trace mineral helps antioxidants clear out cell-damaging free radicals. In fact, your toenails are loaded with it. Without selenium, new studies show, you run a greater risk of hip and knee osteoarthritis.
Researchers have been measuring levels of selenium in the nail beds of nearly 1,000 people – average age 59 – for the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project at UNC’s Thurston Arthritis Research Center in Chapel Hill.
The study is ongoing, but so far it’s shown that “people who have low selenium levels are more likely to have knee osteoarthritis,” says rheumatologist Joanne M. Jordan, M.D., the center’s director.
What’s more, knee osteoarthritis is more likely to affect both legs and be more severe, she adds. - See more at: http://www.lifescript.com/health/centers/osteoarthritis/articles/eat_to_beat_knee_osteoarthritis_and_other_aching_joints.aspx?_page=3#sthash.3kNznV1w.dpuf
copied from lifescript............
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