The term “arthritis” refers to the chronic inflammation of joints throughout the
body. Arthritis is one of the most rapidly growing chronic conditions in North
America. Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is also known as
wear and tear arthritis and degenerative joint disease. This form of arthritis
classically affects the knee joint, the hips and other weight bearing joints.
Other forms include rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis.
New treatments for arthritis are constantly researched. The most common
arthritis medications are non-steroid or steroid anti-inflammatory drugs which,
although effective, have serious side-effects. They can have unpleasant side
effects: cause weight gain, acne, osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes,
cataracts and infections. The side effects of steroids impact on almost every
system of the body, and the more steroids you take, the more side effects you
are likely to experience.
The newest findings link arthritis not only to poor diet and obesity, but also
to the overall state of the immune system. Quite recently, researchers have
found a protein in the immune system that malfunctioned in patients who have
arthritis or other inflammatory diseases. Doctors believe they can block this
protein to reduce the need for steroids.
As the general population ages, the number of people with arthritis is growing.
Today arthritis medications are aimed at baby-boomers who have spent more years
living with obesity than the previous generation. Researchers at Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center have found that there are more cases of obesity-related
arthritis among baby boomers compared to the previous generation.
What we eat often plays a large role in setting the stage for the start of
arthritis. There are a few changes anyone can make to their diet to successfully
offset arthritis even without using arthritis medications.
The typical North American diet contains an overwhelming amount of cooked,
processed and other acid forming foods. A healthy diet should be 70%
alkaline and 30% acidic. Unfortunately, the average North American diet has reversed this ratio.
Instead of eating cooked foods that are acid forming, a diet of mostly raw,
fresh vegetables, fruits and reducing the consumption of meats are an excellent
way to help reduce inflammation throughout the body.
To ease your arthritis symptoms without succumbing to arthritis medications,
avoid foods that form acid in your body. These foods include bread, coffee,
corn, honey, oatmeal, peanuts, rice, soy, pasta and wheat. When treating
arthritis, stay away from saturated fats, such as butter, cream, and margarine.
Antioxidants in brightly colored fruits and vegetables offer substantial
protection against arthritis. By eating more yellow and orange fruits and
vegetables you will consume antioxidants called carotenoids, which can lower
your chances of developing inflammatory arthritis. Some dietitians suggest that
night-shade vegetables are unsuitable for arthritis patients, which means you
should think twice about eating peppers, (red, green and yellow), potatoes,
tomatoes and eggplants.
Build your arthritis diet around such alkaline-forming products as most berries,
bananas, dates, figs, prunes, raisins, almonds, asparagus, avocado, fresh beans,
beets, carrots, grapes, plums, spinach, apricots, broccoli, all kind of cabbage,
cantaloupe, celery, cherries, chestnuts, chicory, coconut milk, fresh sweet corn
and cucumbers. Focusing on vegetables instead of proteins will ease many other
symptoms and help you reduce weight too.
Proper hydration is a must. Drink half your weight in ounces – that would be 75
oz of water for a person weighing 150 pounds. If you must drink alcohol, coffee
or soda, drink an extra 16 oz of water for every alcoholic drink and cup of
coffee or soda you consume in addition to the water you would normally drink.
Arthritis is a condition that takes years to develop. In many cases, arthritis
can be avoided or effectively managed through the use of alternative methods
that include proper nutrition, hydration and specific nutritional supplements
that can reduce the damage done to aging joints.
About the author:
Kathryn writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on
Arthritis please visit http://www.arthritis-resource.comand for additional
articles on Arthritis http://www.arthritis-resource.com/arthritis-articles/
