EAT TO TREAT ACHES AND PAINS
While there is no magic diet for osteo-arthritis, there is some evidence that the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in oily fish ‘have antiinflammatory properties that may well be of benefit’, according to the British Dietetic Association (BDA). The BDA advises patients to consume at least one, and preferably two, portions of oily fish a week, such as sardines, mackerel, salmon and tuna. Eating a Mediterranean diet might also help. In 2016, a study by the University of Kent divided 100 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip into two groups. One was told to eat as they normally would, while the other was put on a Mediterranean-style diet for 16 weeks, featuring more fruit, vegetables and fish, less meat, and the replacement of butter and cheese with vegetable and plant oil-based alternatives. Not only did this group lose weight, but signs of inflammation and breakdown of cartilage were reduced, while their range of knee flexibility or hip rotation was found to have increased. Last year, nutritionists at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Surrey carried out a review of more than 1,000 papers looking at the impact of obesity, as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol and vitamins A, C, D, E and K, on the risk or progression of osteoarthritis. The researchers concluded that, based on the evidence, ‘weight reduction... together with increased physical activity’ were the strongest recommendations that could be made. Nevertheless, they endorsed a number of foods as being potentially beneficial for sufferers of osteoarthritis, all of which contain antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E. Rich sources of vitamin A include carrots, curly kale, sweet potato and liver. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, blackcurrants and raw green and red peppers, while vitamin E occurs naturally in vegetable oils, margarine, wholegrain cereals, nuts and seeds. The theory — yet to be proved conclusively — is that an imbalance between harmful free radical and antioxidant molecules in the body may be involved in the development and progression of osteoarthritis, according to the BDA. It also suggests that vitamin K, found in olive oil and margarine, ‘may influence osteoarthritis through its role in making bone and cartilage’. However, some experts are not convinced the answer lies with particular foods. ‘It’s not possible for specific foods or nutritional supplements to cure osteoarthritis,’ says Helena Gibsonmoore, a nutrition scientist, which has just issued new guidance on healthy eating for people with osteoarthritis.