OSTEOARTHRITIS

About Osteoarthritis

There are two main types of arthritis: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.  Osteoarthritis rarely develops before the age of forty, but it affects most people after the age of sixty.  The severity of  symptoms range from so mild that you don’t know you’ve got it, to so severe that the smallest movement is agony.  The most common reason is wear and tear of the cartilage that covers the end of the bones. 

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition, where cartilage and tissues in and around the joints are damaged or destroyed.  Rheumatoid arthritis creates stiffness, swelling, fatigue, anaemia, weight loss, fever and, often, crippling pain.  It frequently occurs in people under forty years of age, including young children.

Nutrition Facts & Diet Advice for Osteoarthritis

Consider the following nutrition guidelines:

• Eat plenty of sulphur containing foods, such as garlic and onion, and eggs.  Sulphur is needed for the repair and rebuilding of bone, cartilage and connective tissue, and aids in the absorption of calcium. 

• Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables, and vegetables of every colour, non-acidic fresh fruit. 

• Eat whole grains (except wheat) such as spelt, kamut, millet and brown rice.

• Eat oily fish, such as mackerel, herring, sardine, pilchard (avoid the tomato sauce in the tins of fish). 

• Eat fresh (not dried or tinned) pineapple when available as the enzyme Bromelain found in pineapple will help reduce inflammation. 

• Take a tablespoon of linseeds with a couple of glasses of room temperature water every day.

• Apple cider vinegar is very good for people with arthritis. 

• Reduce saturated fat from animals in your diet and avoid fried foods. 

• Avoid all milk and other dairy produce.  You may be alright with goats or sheeps yoghurt. 

• Avoid red meat.

• Avoid the nightshade family of vegetables (peppers, aubergine or eggplant, tomatoes and white potatoes – also tobacco).  The solanine found in these foods can cause pain in the muscles to susceptible people. 

• Avoid table salt (sodium chloride) but include the natural sodium found in foods such as celery – this is needed to keep calcium in solution and not sit on top of your joints. 

• Get your iron from food, but ensure your multimineral supplements does not contain extra iron (unless your Doctor tells you you’re anaemic) – there is some evidence iron may be involved in pain, swelling and joint destruction.  You do need some iron though, so eat broccoli, blackstrap molasses, beetroot, peas.

• Check for food allergies and intolerances with a nutritional consultant or allergy specialist, and, especially if you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, have a test done via a nutritionist to check whether you have a ‘leaky gut’ – you almost certainly have!

• NSAIDs, among other things, cause ‘leaky gut’.  This can usually be healed with the help of a nutrition consultant.  

• Also have a hair mineral analysis via a nutrition consultant.   

• Get tested for chlamydia organism which has been linked to some cases of arthritis. 

• Check silicone breast implants.  

• If you are overweight, lose the excess.  See weight management.

Health Supplements for Osteoarthritis

Often, a combination of supplements may help in alleviating this condition. You may wish to consult a nutritional therapist for personal advice. Supplements that may be helpful in alleviating symptoms are shown below:

There are dozens of useful supplements used in arthritis.  Every person who has arthritis responds differently, so be prepared to try a few.  The most successful and important are mentioned first on the list below.

Essential:

• Higher Nature MSM Glucosamine

• Vitamin C 1000mg three times a day Higher Nature)

• Advanced Antioxidant Formula (from Solgar)

• Vitamin B Complex (Biocare)

• Magnesium Pantothenate (from BioCare)   (helps Adrenal Glands make anti-inflammatory cortisone hormones)

• True Food Calcium and Magnesium Complex (Higher Nature)

• 3mg Boron daily (Solgar)

• 4 or more capsules or dessert spoon of oil Omega 3 and 6 Essential Balance. (Higher Nature). ‘Omega Nutrition’ oils are certified organic and are cold processed in the dark, without exposure to oxygen, and packaged in specially researched photon-free tubes for the ultimate protection that even dark glass cannot give. Delicious, rich in omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids, and essential to health. 

• CurcuminX4000 - anti-inflammatory

Also try any of the following:

• MSM Glucosamine Joint Complex

• Superoxide Dismutase

• Silica

• Organic Sulphur MSM

• Digestive enzymes (e.g. Polyzyme Forte from BioCare)

• Germanium

• DL-Phenylalanine for pain relief (Caution: do not take if pregnant or breastfeeding, diabetic, have high blood pressure, taking anti-depressants or suffer from panic attacks, or have PKU)

• Shark cartilage

• Cat’s claw

• Ginger

• Feverfew

• Cayenne pepper

• Celery seed

• Devil’s claw

• Nettle

• Parsley tea

• Burdock root

Recommended Books

see also: allergies and food intolerance   cookbooks   weight management

Other information sources:

Osteoarthritis and Glucosamine Information Center

Visit the Osteoarthritis and Glucosamine Information Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing top quality information on osteoarthritis and glucosamine. Get tips for managing pain and get helpful tips on how to exercise and eat properly.