Health

Diet and Arthritis

Arthritis is a painful condition that poses a number of painful restrictions on the sufferer, reducing their effective range of movement, and chipping away at their self esteem and mobility. Arthritis poses a daily routine of swelling, pain and depression for the victim, with pain in the morning, aching joints during activity and then the evening is spent suffering from the days exertion. Regardless of the form of arthritis you suffer from (and sadly there are many) nutrition plays a crucial role in the development, progress and severity of the symptoms.

Gouty arthritis for example is especially linked to diet. This form of arthritis which is typified by a development of crystals in the big toe joint space, which makes mobility painful. These crystals develop as a result of excessively high volumes of uric acid in the body, and when the body is unable to break these down effectively they soon grow into the painful crystals. Uric acid is commonly found in rich foods such as oysters and in excessive alcohol consumption, so you may want to reduce your intake of certain foodstuffs to help offset the risk of developing this form of arthritis.

Even the slightest amount of excess weight places even more strain on our already long suffering joints and so you may want to give some serious consideration as to reducing your calories intake and cutting down on your refined sugar intake. One foodstuff that arthritis sufferers should ensure that they get plenty of is omega 3 fatty acids which is a crucial supplement for the development and growth of cartilage.

Cartilage is the fluid found within the various joints and which serves as a shock absorber for the joint, protecting the joint from impact and also preventing friction between the bones themselves. Arthritis results when this protective fluid has worn down and eroded, and the actual pain is caused y the bones rubbing against one another. If you are not a fish fan, the omega 3 fatty acids can be found be in alternative sources such as sunflower seeds, and walnuts as well. Soft drinks have a very high phosphoric acid content which results in essential minerals found within the bones to be depleted at a much higher rate and this means that there is a higher rate of osteoporosis (weakness of the bones) developing. The same is also true of all red meat and caffeine as well.

Diet is a significant part of any arthritis sufferers health regime and if used properly, can be used to reduce pain and so reduce the need to rely on painkillers. Painkillers can cause long term health risks and problems, and there is always the risk of an addiction forming with the user, given the potency of the drugs that are commonly prescribed to treat arthritis it is little wonder that people develop addictions. Make sure to incorporate some gentle exercise into your daily routine as well so as to ensure that you keep your joints as flexible and supple as possible.

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