Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that is localized in the cartilage. It occurs following repeated movements and friction which end up wearing down the cartilage between the bones. This disease can quickly affect the synovial fluid and the bone, if nothing is done in time. According to the latest figures from Inserm, 10 million people suffer from osteoarthritis in France and this figure continues to increase every year. Lifestyle and unbalanced diet are the causes of the onset of the disease. Adopting a balanced diet helps reduce the progression of the disease by inducing an anti-inflammatory action. Indeed, the addition of certain oils, seeds and nuts rich in omega-3, as well as the use of spices in dishes, help combat joint pain. However, excessive consumption of omega-6, saturated fatty acids and acidifying foods in your diet leads to a pro-inflammatory environment which can accentuate pain. This article helps you find an adequate diet in the case of osteoarthritis.
This article was updated on 01/12/2023Osteoarthritis or osteoarthritis is a disease that can affect all joints of the body. Despite everything, the most common forms are osteoarthritis of the spine, fingers, knees and hip.
In most cases, osteoarthritis manifests itself as joint pain accompanied by swelling. It can also cause nighttime awakenings and difficulty getting rid of rust in the morning in the more advanced stages of the disease.
There are many factors that promote osteoarthritis. It does not only occur with age, as you might think! Other factors may be involved including:
excess weight ; People who are overweight or obese have a greater prevalence of developing osteoarthritis. The cause is excess weight, which puts significant pressure on the joints.
intensive sports practice ; especially among tennis players, skiers and rugby players who, through their sports practice, experience sudden movements and shocks that damage the cartilage.
professional activity ; We are certainly not saying to stop working, but our job can be a risk factor for osteoarthritis. We are thinking in particular of construction professionals.
genetic factors ; Indeed, osteoarthritis can be transmitted from generation to generation.
To summarize, in case of osteoarthritis, you should avoid foods as much as possible pro-inflammatory and favor foods anti-inflammatories in your diet to limit joint pain.
THE omega-6s are present in large quantities in our diet and promote a healthy pro-inflammatory.
We recommend you :
to limit your intake of sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and pine nuts to encourage your consumption of pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, linseed and chia seeds having a good omega-3/omega-6 balance.
to reduce the use of vegetable oils such as sunflower oil and safflower oil to favor oils richer in omega-3, including linseed oil, chia oil and camelina oil.
A diet rich in saturated fatty acids causes inflammation in the cartilage and therefore pain. Saturated fatty acids ultimately have a quite harmful effect on our health and their consumption must be limited.
We recommend you :
to restrict the consumption of coconut oil, palm oil, cocoa oil and shea oil as well as their butters which are very rich in saturated fatty acids. Coconut oil is the oil richest in saturated fat with an amount of 86.5 g per 100 g of oil.
in general, limit the use of butter and crème fraîche and switch to oils lower in saturated fatty acids: walnut oil, linseed oil and chia oil.
to reduce your consumption of cheeses such as sheep's cheese, goat's cheese, and Roquefort which are richest in saturated fatty acids. Prefer cheeses lower in saturated fatty acids such as chamois d'or or fromage blanc.
of prefer white meats red meats whose consumption should be limited to 500 g per week, the equivalent of 5 steaks per week maximum.
The diet includes a lot of so-called foods acidifiers which lead to a lowering of blood pH and inflammation in the cartilage.
to reduce the consumption ofacidifying foods including meats, fish and eggs in general.
to introduce into the diet of alkalizing foods such as fruits (including banana, kiwi, grapefruit), green and colorful vegetables (carrot, eggplant, broccoli and spinach, etc.) and dried fruits (apricots, grapes, blueberries, hazelnuts, etc.).
to associate acidifying foods with alkalizers to promote a good acid-base balance. The meal can consist of a portion of chicken breast (acid-forming food) with a portion of broccoli and potatoes (alkalizing food). And, there you have it, no more acid-base balance problems!
In the case of osteoarthritis, omega-3s are involved in particular in the reduction of markers of inflammation, the limitation of destruction of cartilage, accompanied by the inhibition of destruction of cartilage cells (chondrocytes).
We recommend you :
Vitamin D participates in the proper functioning of bone and muscle tissues, but not only that! Vitamin D deficiency causes the appearance of inflammatory diseases.
We recommend you :
THE antioxidants play a leading role in the fight against aging of bones and cartilage.
We recommend you :
to consume as little as possible 5 servings of fruits and vegetables which provide our body with vitamins, minerals and, of course, antioxidants. The fruits richest in antioxidants are prunes, figs, blackberries and blueberries. And, for vegetables, we find artichokes, cabbage, asparagus and broccoli. In addition to providing antioxidants, fruits and vegetables allow us to stock up on vitamins and minerals.
to introduce into your daily diet a small handful of walnut kernels or cumin also well known for their antioxidant power.
THE spices are not just little powders that add color to dishes. They are real concentrates both nutritional and therapeutic benefits, particularly with their powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Ginger is known for its numerous active ingredients and particularly gingerol, shogoal and zingerone for their effect anti-inflammatory. To show the effectiveness of ginger on osteoarthritis, a study was published in the Journal Arthritis and Rheumatism to show the effectiveness of ginger on 261 patients with severe to moderate knee osteoarthritis. After 6 weeks of taking ginger, the study found a 60% reduction in knee pain compared to people who did not consume ginger during this period.
As to turmeric, it contains phenolic compounds called curcuminoids which have an antioxidant action. Turmeric is often combined with piperine to improve its assimilation of turmeric in the body. Recent studies tend to demonstrate that the usefulness of piperine is not very effective. But, nothing prevents it from being combined with turmeric. Piperine is an alkaloid found in black pepper where the pepper.
There banana arouses a lot of interest among people with osteoarthritis. Indeed, the alkalizing fruits of which the banana contributes to the good restoration of the acid-base balance in the body and even more so in the cartilage. From a nutritional point of view, the banana contains a significant amount of potassium (K+) which, it is assumed, is involved in this acid-base balance through a decrease in acidity. Indeed, studies are underway on the alkalizing effects of potassium, but without any conclusive results for the moment. This is why interest in this food is so great.
However, this fruit is far from being the richest in potassium because dry Japanese seaweed, kombu contains 10,600 mg of potassium or even dry Shiitake, which contains 1,530 mg.
In addition to being rich in potassium, it is a very sweet food. It is estimated to contain around 3 sugar cubes per banana. This yellow food must therefore be consumed in moderation to avoid any weight gain.
In short, the banana is indeed an alkalizing fruit, but it is far from being the miracle food for osteoarthritis.
A balanced diet accompanied anti-inflammatory foods such as foods rich in omega-3, antioxidants, and vitamin D provide daily relief from pain caused by osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, to date, no scientific study has demonstrated that diet could permanently cure osteoarthritis. Food does not yet have this strength!
Despite everything, even if we cannot cure it, the combination of a healthy and balanced diet accompanied by small practical advice on a daily basis promotes an overall improvement in quality of life.
In order to slow down the rapid degradation of cartilage, some tips can be put into practice on a daily basis such as:
adopt a healthy and balanced diet in order to avoid any weight gain. People who are overweight have greater pressure on their joints including their knees, ankles and hips. According to the study published in the journal Radiology, we see that in patients who have had a weight loss of between 5 to 10% develop significantly lower cartilage degeneration. This phenomenon would be all the more visible in the group of patients who lost more than 10% of their weight compared to patients who maintained a stable weight.
practice a physical activity adapted to you and which above all makes you want it! Physical activity is essential for each of us, because it contributes to the proper functioning of muscles and joints. Hiking, cycling or even swimming are considered gentle sports that minimize the impact on the joints. The National Nutrition and Health Program (PNNS) established in France encourages practicing at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day, including walking of course. For athletic people, the choice of their physical activity can be discussed with a health professional.
remember to hydrate yourself sufficiently, water is your best ally. To do this, drink at least 1.5 L per day and choose water containing a good source of calcium and magnesium which alkalizes the pH.
limit it alcohol consumption, known for its dehydrating effect. All alcohols act on vasopressin (anti-diuretic hormone) which inhibits water reabsorption and facilitates diuresis. Small reminder, cartilage is a tissue composed mainly of water. It is estimated to contain approximately 65 to 85% of this weight. So don't dehydrate your cartilages.
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