Degenerative arthritis, also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a joint disorder triggered by the gradual loss of the cartilage that normally cushions the interior surfaces of your joints. If you have osteoarthritis, you can potentially ease the associated inflammation by making certain changes in your diet. Dietary changes can also help your condition by encouraging weight loss.
Basics
Normally, the cartilage in your joints provides a firm, slippery surface that allows your bones to move in relation to each other without any direct contact or harmful friction. However, in those with osteoarthritis, joint cartilage begins to degenerate and the underlying bones rub against each other, leading to symptoms that can include pain, stiffness and inflammation. While doctors don't know exactly what triggers this degenerative process, factors associated with the onset of osteoarthritis include advancing age, genetic predisposition, chemical and metabolic changes and problems with bone alignment or mechanics.
Anti-Inflammation Diet
The University of Maryland Medical Centers lists a variety of dietary changes you can make to reduce your levels of osteoarthritis-related inflammation. They include avoiding refined foods such as sugar, pasta and white bread; reducing your consumption of red meat; avoiding tobacco products, alcohol and caffeine; and reducing your consumption of commercial baked goods and processed snack foods, which commonly contain trans fat. You can also reduce your inflammation risks by increasing your consumption of whole grains, vegetables and fruit; getting dietary protein from lean meat, beans, cold-water fish and soybeans; and drinking six to eight glasses of filtered water each day. In addition, you can increase your consumption of foods known to reduce inflammation, such as pickles, onions, garlic, mustard, celery, horseradish, seeds, nuts and lemons.
Diet and Weight Loss
The same dietary changes that reduce your osteoarthritis-related inflammation can also help you lose weight if you are overweight or obese. Excess body weight can worsen your arthritis symptoms by placing undue stress on affected joints in your lower body; the more excess weight you carry, the greater the stress on your joints. Further, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center reports that keeping your weight within a healthy range can improve your osteoarthritis symptoms, slow the overall progression of joint degeneration and reduce your chances for developing osteoarthritis in additional joints.
Considerations
Seek the advice of your doctor and a registered nutritionist before you make significant changes in your daily diet. A nutritionist, in particular, can help you make dietary choices that reduce your weight and improve your osteoarthritis symptoms while still providing you with all the nutrients you need for proper overall health. In addition to specific changes in the foods you eat, you may also be able to slow the advancement of osteoarthritis by increasing your consumption of vitamins C and D. Ask your doctor and nutritionist about healthy ways to increase your consumption of these vitamins.
