John Myers
Osteoarthritis is based on an inflammatory process. Therefore, little meat, but fish and greens should be on the plate. Spices like turmeric, chili, and cinnamon help relieve the pain.
Osteoarthritis is excessive cartilage wear. If the protective cartilage is lost, this leads to inflammation and pain in the joint. Although wear and tear are irreversible, a change in diet can make a huge difference. The therapy is based on two pillars:
- Inhibiting inflammation with good fats and phytochemicals and
- Relief for the joints by reducing unnecessary kilos.
Eat anti-inflammatory
Lots of vegetables and healthy vegetable oils should be part of the menu. It is essential to limit the consumption of meat because red meat and sausage in particular contain many pro-inflammatory substances. Among them is arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid found primarily in pork and sausage. Too much sugar also promotes inflammation. Therefore, it is crucial to limit your consumption of snack foods, sweets, pastries, and white flour products.
The most important diet tips for osteoarthritis
- The omega-3 fatty acids contained in particular in linseed oil effectively support the organism in fighting inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, and mackerel.
- An adequate supply of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements is also important for the articular cartilage, as is provided by a plant-based diet. Silicon (in silicic acid) in particular has a cartilage-stabilizing effect. Quite a lot of silicic acid is contained in oats, brown rice, barley, millet, and Jerusalem artichoke, as well as in herbal teas such as horsetail or stinging nettle.
- Many fruits, vegetables, and herbs contain anti-inflammatory phytochemicals. Foods such as broccoli and horseradish (mustard oils), spinach (flavonoids), garlic (allicin), blueberries (anthocyanidin), and oranges (carotenoids), for example, promise relief.
- A very effective natural pain reliever for osteoarthritis is a mixture of cumin, coriander, and nutmeg. These spices improve blood flow to the synovial membrane, thereby relieving pain. Take one to two pinches of it daily. Incidentally, these spices taste excellent in quark or dip or as a refinement of a vegetable dish.
Relieve the joints by reducing weight
When jumping or climbing stairs, our knees absorb several times the body weight – no wonder that they wear out faster when they are overweight. The fact that abdominal fat emits inflammatory messenger substances further aggravates joint problems.
Intermittent fasting has been shown to help reduce weight. There are two forms of intermittent fasting: extended night fasting (16:8) or regular short-term fasting (5:2). Which one to use is a question of type and should also be chosen according to what fits best into personal everyday life.
What to eat for osteoarthritis: foods and recipes
If you change your diet to suitable foods (also downloadable as a printable list), you can alleviate your symptoms and save on some medication. Our recipe suggestions will help.
