Food, Diet & Herbal Remedies Therapy for osteoarthritis.
 

Food

Proper diet and nutrition are key elements in the prevention of all types of disease, including arthritis. An important first step in treating arthritis lies in achieving normal body weight. Excess weight puts increased stress on weight-bearing joints affected with arthritis.

Eat a diet that is high in fiber and that is not tainted with chemicals, which stress the body. Maximize your intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

Make sure your menu includes cold-water fish such as salmon and halibut.

Avoid saturated fats, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, rich fattv foods, fried foods, and refined sugar. These substances make the internal environment more acidic. Acid in the joints promotes inflammation, which worsens symptoms and increases pain.

Fatty meats, eggs, margarine, shortening, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, sugars and dairy products should be dramatically cut down or eliminated from the diet. 

About one-third of those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis are sensitive to solanines, or nightshade plants, which include potatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and tobacco. These should be eliminated from the diet.

Drink at least six to eight glasses of pure water daily. This will help to flush out toxins from your body. 

Foods to eat

Foods to Avoid

Studies have shown that all arthritis symptoms are reduced, even for those with rheumatoid arthritis, after a person adopts a vegetarian diet, free of all animal foods, including-and especially-dairy products.

Calcium Inhibitors

Foods High In Oxalic Acid

The Nightshade Family of Foods

Foods that will Create Wind and Dampness

Diet Therapy

1. Remove all inflammatory causes from your diet. Dairy products, wheat, and nightshade plants, including potatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and tobacco, are most often responsible for these food allergies. Eliminate all the suspect foods from your diet for at least one month. If this is helping with your arthritis, gradually reintroduce them (one new food every three to four days). This way you can determine which specific food is contributing to your arthritis.

2. Remove or decrease consumption of all animal products other than fish. If possible eat a raw food vegetarian diet (vegetarian plus elimination of all animal products, especially dairy).

3. Periodic supervised fasting is also very effective for osteoarthritis. For more than 50 years, fasting clinics throughout Europe have successfully employed periodic juice fasting for managing arthritis. Fasting enhances the eliminative and cleansing capacity of the lungs, skin, liver, and kidneys. It also rests and restores the digestive system and helps to relax the nervous system and mind.

4. Besides green vegetables, your diet should include: carrots, avocado, sea weeds, spirulina, barley and wheat grass products, sprouts, pecans, soy products, whole grains (such as brown rice, millet, oats, wheat, and barley), seeds (sesame, flax, and pumpkin), and cold-water fish (such as salmon, sardines, herring, and tuna).

5. Avoid the following foods: alcohol, coffee, sugar, saturated fat, hydrogenated fat (margarine), excess salt, spinach, cranberries, plums, buckwheat, nuts.

6. Weight reduction, through diet and exercise, is also recommended in treating arthritis.

Diet & Osteoarthritis

For centuries, we humans have considered that our health is influenced by what we eat. Let's face it - if you eat  beef  with hot sauce and have diarrhea followed by anal burning the next morning, the food affected your body!

The concept that diet can, in any way, affect osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) is being evaluated by researchers. Keep in mind that this field is just developing and few hard conclusions can be reached. Here is the latest:

       1.Obesity increases the risk for developing osteoarthritis. Overweight persons might reduce their chances for developing or aggravating their osteoarthritis by losing weight. Furthermore, if a person already has substantial osteoarthritis in a weight-bearing joint, such as a knee or hip, weight reduction can significantly improve their ability to rehabilitate after joint surgery as well as decrease their risk of surgical complications.

      2.Vitamin C is important in the development of normal cartilage. A deficiency of Vitamin C might lead to the development of weak cartilage. Vitamin C is commonly available in citrus fruits. Supplementation with a Vitamin C tablet may be advised if dietary fruits are unavailable.

       Persons with low bone mineral density, such as in osteoporosis, may be at increased risk for osteoarthritis. Exercise and adequate calcium intake, as recommended for age and gender, can help to maintain bone density.

      3.Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to increase the risk of joint space narrowing and progression of disease in osteoarthritis. Many doctors are recommending Vitamin D supplementation of 400IU daily. This can also help to prevent osteoporosis.

       In recent years, there have been studies originally conducted in Europe and more recently in the United States that have verified that the food supplements:-

     4.Glucosamine and chondroitin can help to relieve osteoarthritis symptoms, including pain and stiffness. Each of these supplements can be taken alone or in combination formulations. Keep in mind that glucosamine has been marketed as a "cartilage rebuilder." This is in part under the assumption that, because glucosamine is a component of normal cartilage, consuming it will assist in the rebuilding of damaged cartilage. There is no strong evidence that glucosamine alone, or in combination with chondroitin, is of value in rebuilding cartilage that has been damaged by osteoarthritis.

Herbal Remedies

Many herbal remedies are useful for arthritic sufferers. Depending on your condition, and the availability of herbal products, some remedies might be more suitable than others. Fresh juices are more easily absorbed by the body and capture the whole synergistic complex of healing ingredients locked in the plant. Find the one that works best for you.

Boswellia has unique anti-inflammatory action, much like the conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used by many for inflammatory conditions. Unlike NSAIDs, however, long-term use of boswellia does not lead to irritation or ulceration of the stomach. 

Cayenne (Capsaicin) Capsaicin, the "burning" substance in cayenne creams has been used topically to relieve pain from osteoarthritis. The benefit from cayenne creams, generally containing 0.025-0.075% of the active ingredient capsaicin, has been confirmed in double blind research. 

Devils claw (Harpagphytum procumbens)-an analgesic and anti-inflammatory
Dosage: one to two grams, three times daily

Ginger (zingiber officinale)-acts as an anti-inflammatory
Suggested Dosage: 0.5 to 1 mg of powdered ginger daily
Ginger Tea- Add one grated teaspoon of fresh ginger to a cup of hot water. Take two times daily.

Horsetail: The silicon content of horsetail is believed to exert a connective tissue strengthening and anti-arthritic action in traditional medicine. 

Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)-an anti-inflammatory. Long-term use can elevate blood pressure and increase potassium loss.
Dosage: one-eighth to one-quarter teaspoon of a 5: 1 solid extract up to three times daily 

Turmeric (Curcumin (Curcuma longa))- an effective anti-inflammatory
Suggested Dosage: 400 mg three times daily; take on an empty stomach and combine with 1,000 mg of bromelain

White willow has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. Although the analgesic actions of willow are typically slow-acting, they tend to last longer than aspirin. One double blind study found that a product featuring white willow (though also containing black cohosh, guaiac [Guaiacum officinale], sarsaparilla, and aspen bark) effectively reduced osteoarthritis pain compared to placebo. White willow products providing approximately 100 mg salicin per day are generally recommended by doctors of natural medicine.

Yucca-has long been used to reduce arthritic pain. 

Cherries, hawthorn berries and blueberries: Cherries, hawthorn berries, blueberries and other dark red-blue berries are rich sources of anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins. These compounds are flavonoid molecules that give them their deep red-blue color. These compounds are remarkable in their ability to enhance collagen matrix integrity and structure.

Celery seed extract-acts as an anti-inflammatory

Castor oil hot packs-apply to affected joint

Apply angelica root compress or add 5 drops of angelica oil to a hot bath to reduce spasms.

Take 3 capsules of horsetail daily for two weeks each month to help rebuild bones.

Acute Joint Inflammation:

In the acute, inflamed stage, slowly start with movement exercises and hot, moist fenugreek packs on the painful areas. Take 1 tbsp. fenugreek seeds internally three times daily.

For internal 10-day cleansing and to reduce inflammation, drink willow bark tea. Add 1 tsp. willow bark to 1 cup boiling water, steep for ten minutes, strain and drink unsweetened twice daily.

Take a hayflower bath. Combine wild yam with celery seeds or willow leaves and make an infusion, strain and add to bath water.