Arthrits Relief with Simple Dietary Changes

The best course of action to take sometimes isn’t clear until you’ve listed and considered ALL of your alternatives. The following paragraphs should help clue you in to what changes the experts think are significant when trying to control the pain of Arthritis..

Arthritis is one of the most prevalent health problems facing today’s aging population.

The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which usually strikes weight-bearing joints such as the ankles, knees and hips. Pain is caused by the gradual breakdown of cartilage, the soft “padding” material that cushions the joints.

About 85% of adults who reach the age of 85 will have osteoarthritis–unless they take a proactive approach to prevent it.

Exercise is very important. But what about diet?

For a long time, doctors doubted there could be any link between diet and osteoarthritis. They saw the disease as a natural result of wear and tear on the joints, something inevitable as we age.

But new research is making them reconsider that idea.

It now appears that nutrition plays a vital role in helping to prevent or ease the effects of osteoarthritis. One key element is vitamin C.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, and may protect the joints from the damaging effects of free radicals (unstable molecules that can cause joint inflammation).

Recent research is showing that vitamin C can help prevent bone loss and cartilage inadequacies associated with aging. Specifically, when your joint has cartilage that needs to be repaired, vitamin C is needed for such repairs. It helps to keep your cartilage “young”.

The information about Arthritis presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Arthritis or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

According to Dr. Timothy McAlindon of the Boston University School of Medicine, “Vitamin C may also help generate collagen, which enhances the body’s ability to repair damage to the cartilage.”

When scientists at the Boston University School of Medicine studied the eating habits of people with osteoarthritis of the knee, they found that those getting the most vitamin C–more than 200 milligrams a day–were three times less likely to have the disease get worse than those who got the least vitamin C (less than 120 milligrams a day).

Dr. McAlindon recommends that people get a least 120 milligrams of vitamin C every day. “That’s the amount in a couple of oranges,” he says.

Dr. Michael F. Roizen and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, co-authors of “You: The Owner’s Manual”, recommend even more. “Shoot for 1200 milligrams of vitamin C a day–spread between your diet and supplements throughout the day.”

Be careful not to overdo it. Some data suggest that more than 2,500 milligrams a day can have the opposite effect and actually increase the risk of osteoarthritis.

Dr. Eve Campanelli, a holistic family practitioner in Beverly Hills, CA, recommends black cherry juice. She advises her patients to drink two glasses, twice a day, of four ounces of the juice diluted with four ounces of water.

Other fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C include oranges, cantaloupe, broccoli, strawberries, peppers and cranberry juice.

A healthy diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, has been recommended by nutritionists for years. Now there’s another reason to pay attention–it can help your joints to stay young!

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of Arthritis. Share your new understanding about Arthritis with others. They’ll thank you for it.

Best Joint Pain Remedies

Super Foods to Fight Arthritis

The good old saying stands valid, you are what you eat. With some thought and effective planning it’s possible to get nutrient rich food into your system, believe me your body will thank you for it. The battle against arthritis should from start from inside your body, with so choices sometimes we take things for granted. Here are some of conscious choice you could make when it comes to battle against arthritis and full pain relief.

Salmon as you might know is full of omega 3 fatty acid, the good fat which your body requires on a day to basis. Eating salmon gives you a double edge advantage , it is good for your cardiovascular health , it has been known to raise the levels of good cholesterol, bringing your blood pressure down.

Bananas – one of the richest sources of potassium and sudden energy booster, its great drink any time of the day , best of all you it doesn’t need any preparation, its easy as peel and go. The specific arthritis fighting nutrients like folate and vitamin B6 is in the right proportion in a banana. Again banana has dual benefits; it contains a high fibre content which will give you the full feeling faster than other food groups there by helping you lose weight as well. Wouldn’t you eat a banana if you can achieve full pain relief ?

If you are a seafood lover like me, don’t ignore the importance of shrimps. They contain the hard to get vitamin D, in fact it contains more Vitamin D than a cup of milk. Just like salmon it contains Omega 3 fatty acids the vitamins B12 which keeps you in good all round health. In general for full pain relief include a wide range of deep sea food.

Green tea has recently come into the lime light as super food; it’s a known fact that green tea is an effective anti oxidant and has various other properties which will help you not only in curing arthritis but also help a whole raft of other health related problems. If you were to pick one among the discussed super foods, it would be green tea.

Little planning goes a long way when it comes to your intake of food and controlling arthritis. Don’t make the common mistake which people make, they stick to good food for a week or so and then revert back to old ways, the trick is to be always conscious of what you put into your system.