Ease symptoms of arthritis with these 3 nutrients
By Amie Skilton, Naturopath and Educator for FX Medicine
You know eating well makes you feel better overall, but if you have arthritis, consuming certain herbs, spices and nutrients can make a big difference to your symptoms, too.
While arthritis is typically seen as a side-effect of getting older, it is in fact not a natural part of ageing. With symptoms like joint pain, stiffness, inflammation and loss of motion making it harder for people with arthritis to live a normal, active life and do the things they enjoy.
While there isn’t a cure, a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, staying in shape, a balanced diet and research-backed nutritional supplements, goes a long way towards managing arthritis and improving quality of life. Here are the three key nutrients that make a difference:
Curcumin
The active compound found in the curry spice turmeric, curcumin has a claim to fame beyond just your favourite Indian dishes. As a potent anti-inflammatory, curcumin is a powerful ally against arthritis, which is often linked to inflammation, particularly in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gouty arthritis and lupus. A 2013 meta-analysis from Iran’s Mashhad University of Medical Sciences revealed that people who took curcuminoids experienced a significant drop in their C-reactive protein levels - a key marker of inflammation in the body. The only issue with curcumin is its bioavailability, or the ease with which your body can absorb it, to reap the therapeutic benefits. The good news? A new method of manufacturing turmeric has led to a highly bioavailable product which allows curcumin to be absorbed up to 27 times the normal rate, maximising its anti-inflammatory potency. If you’re looking to include more curcumin in your diet, start by adding Turmeric to your curries, stir-fries and even drinks! It’s important to note that Turmeric needs to be taken with a fat, in order for your body to absorb the benefits, like coconut milk or oil.
Chondroitin
A substance that occurs naturally in your body, chondroitin is a key component of cartilage, the connective tissue that cushions joints. In supplement form, chondroitin sulphate is thought to help keep cartilage healthy by absorbing fluid and nutrients, as well as blocking enzymes that break down cartilage. In a recent University of Montreal study, chondroitin sulfate outperformed standard medication in reducing the long-term progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA). In the study, researchers tracked 194 people with knee OA over two years, dividing them into two groups: one group took chondroitin sulfate daily, the other took celecoxib (a medicine) daily. The results? While both treatments were equally effective at taming symptoms, only chondroitin was able to slow the progression of the disease, by reducing the loss of cartilage. One simple way to incorporate Chondroitin into your diet is by consuming bone broth, which is full of joint-nourishing chondroitin and glycosaminoglycans (a component of the natural lubricant in our joints!). Making your own bone broth from scratch, by using leftover meat bones, is not only a great way to use all of your scraps, but it also means that you can avoid buying supermarket chicken or beef stock, which often contains excess amounts of sugar, salt and additives.
Fish oil
Found in oily fish like tuna, salmon, sardines and mackerel as well as in supplements, omega-3 fats help reduce inflammation from arthritis, in turn helping to relieve joint pain and stiffness. In one Austrian study, people with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis who took fish oil daily had significantly fewer swollen and tender joint complains after 20 weeks, compared to those who were given a placebo. In some cases, taking fish oil can even reduce the need for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Research suggests the dose of fish oil needed to dampen down inflammation is 2.7 grams of omega-3s daily, so you may want to go for a high-dose or concentrated supplement, which will make it easier to hit this target. If you want to achieve this amount of omega-3s in your diet, you would need to eat almost 1.1kg of snapper per day- a lot of fish! Try incorporating fish into your diet at least 2-3 per week, and supplementing with one fish oil capsule per day.
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