Diet for joint disease

Diet for joint disease, according to the overwhelming majority of specialists, has little or no effect on joint pain. However, there is another point of view, according to which diet will help only when the emergence and development of joint pathologies is associated with metabolic disorders.

Joint diseases have become a serious health problem for modern humans, and doctors emphasize that the causes of these diseases are so numerous, and the forms of their manifestation are so diverse, that it is practically impossible to systematize the nutritional characteristics and give all patients a comprehensive answer to the question - what diet for joint diseases can alleviate their condition?

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What kind of diet for joint disease is right for you?

We will not look for a panacea, but simply try to find out the basic principles on which a diet for joint disease is built. It is clear that it should be based on the etiology of the disease.

With joint inflammation – arthritis – everything seems to be clear. It has been absolutely definitely established that such a type of arthritis as gout is caused by a high level of uric acid in the blood, formed during the breakdown of purines, which settles in the joints and turns into crystals. A similar cause is also found in the so-called false gout (pyrophosphate arthropathy or chondrocalcinosis), only here in the joints of the knees, wrists and ankles, as well as in the hip joints, crystals of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate are formed. Where do they come from? Pyrophosphoric acid salts are formed in the process of enzymatic oxidation (and obtaining energy from nutrients) of the main energy carrier in cells – adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

But science has not yet fully figured out the causes of degenerative changes in the cartilaginous tissue of the joints (arthrosis). Although among arthritis there is also a "dark horse" - rheumatoid arthritis. Even some long-time practicing doctors say that this disease (like multiple sclerosis or rheumatic polymyalgia) is autoimmune and no diet for joint disease in this case has the slightest significance.

However, numerous foreign studies confirm that many patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of inflammatory joint diseases do react to certain substances that enter the body with food.

For example, excessive amounts of proteins in food lead to a disruption of their absorption from the intestines into the blood. In the so-called syndrome of increased intestinal permeability (in people with chronic parasitic invasions, colitis, enteritis, etc.), antibodies are produced to the protein of chicken eggs, meat or dairy products, wheat or soy, perceived as an antigen (foreign). In addition, the amino acids of these proteins can penetrate into the sensitive tissues of the synovial membranes lining the joints. There they can provoke serious inflammatory reactions and pain. If the inflammation is chronic, it eventually leads to the formation of scars, contracture and loss of joint mobility.

By the way, a frequent "companion" of ulcerative colitis is such a form of arthritis as ankylosing spondylitis (Bechterew's disease), which affects the joints of the spine. Scientists associate this with the fact that the largest amount of lymphoid tissue, which protects the body from antigens, is located in the intestine. And improper nutrition - with a high content of fat, cholesterol and animal protein - can reduce the potential of lymphoid tissue.

Diet recipes for joint diseases

Nutrition that is good for our joints does not necessarily have to be "boring" for our tongue. Diet recipes for joint diseases are recipes for dishes that do not contain products that can aggravate the disease.

Here, for example, are very tasty and healthy pancakes with vegetables.

To prepare them, you will need two young zucchini (or squash), one medium-sized carrot, one small onion, garlic (a couple of cloves), two raw chicken eggs, half a glass of wheat flour, salt and ground black pepper (to taste), refined sunflower oil (for frying only).

The cooking process begins with chopping the vegetables: zucchini and carrots - on a grater, onion - finely chop. Then break the eggs into a bowl with vegetables and mix everything well. After that, you need to pour in flour, put chopped garlic, salt and pepper.

Finally, mix the dough until smooth and fry like regular pancakes. They are best eaten warm – with sour cream.

By the way, if you add 50 g of finely grated cheese and a little chopped parsley or dill to this zucchini-carrot dough, then pour it onto a baking sheet and put it in the oven for 35-40 minutes, you will get another recipe for a diet for illness - a wonderful vegetable casserole.

About half of all people over 65 have problems with the musculoskeletal system, primarily with joints. What advice can you give them? Eat healthy! Eating enough vegetables, whole grains, and fruits helps maintain a healthy weight and good health.

A healthy low-fat diet for autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory arthritis, gout or osteoarthritis can slow the overall progression of joint degeneration. In many cases, a diet for joint disease can even become one of the means of treating them.

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What should you not eat if you have joint disease?

A diet for joint diseases (arthritis, arthrosis, rheumatism, etc.) involves removing all animal products and refined carbohydrates from the diet.

While animal products do not need to be listed, it would not hurt to recall the names of refined carbohydrates. These are premium white wheat flour, sugar, all sweets (except natural honey) and various confectionery products, as well as polished and pre-processed cereals (deprived of the grain shell and some of the fiber).

What should you not eat if you have joint disease, in addition to the products already mentioned? You should minimize the consumption of nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, sweet peppers, eggplants). The glycoalkaloid solanine contained in these vegetables accelerates the decomposition of red blood cells, increases intestinal permeability, causing diarrhea, joint pain, cramps and even neurological disorders.

People with gout should avoid eating fatty sea fish (in any form), caviar and cod liver, meat and poultry by-products (liver, etc.), chicken eggs, nuts, fatty sour cream and butter, since all these products are rich in ergocalciferol (vitamin D2). But with osteoarthritis, the consumption of this vitamin should be increased.

If you have problems with your joints, it is contraindicated to eat shellfish; legumes (beans, peas, lentils); sorrel and spinach; strong broths; all fried, spicy and smoked foods; sausages; cooking fats and spreads; spices and seasonings; sweet carbonated drinks, alcohol (including beer).

And once again we emphasize: you should limit animal protein, because these are purines, the breakdown products of which enter the synovial fluid, acidify it and lead to joint damage.

What can you eat if you have joint disease?

For any type of joint disease, the main food products should be natural grains and vegetables (except those listed above).

A diet for a joint disease diagnosed as osteoarthritis should take into account the presence of a sufficient amount of vitamin C. The fact is that osteoarthritis develops when the cartilage that prevents the bones from rubbing together in the joints wears out. It is the loss of cartilage that leads to pain, decreased range of motion and swelling of the joint. And vitamin C (one of the strongest antioxidants) ensures the synthesis of collagen, which is part of the cartilage tissue. Therefore, the right products for this joint disease are vegetables, fruits and berries - in any form. Apples, blueberries, as well as citrus fruits and greens with a high content of natural antioxidants and polyphenols are especially useful. Vegetable juices, especially carrot and cabbage, are extremely beneficial. By the way, coffee, which contains polyphenols, can also reduce joint inflammation. And the inflammatory process - especially in rheumatoid arthritis - can be reduced by taking flaxseed oil (a dessert spoon a day).

Besides this, what can you eat if you have joint disease? You can eat meat, but only lean meat (chicken, turkey, rabbit), no more than twice a week and best of all boiled (when boiling meat, almost half of the purines end up in the broth). You can also eat: bread (rye and wholemeal); cereal and vegetable dishes; milk and fermented milk products; cottage cheese and cheese; eggs (no more than three per week). It is very important to drink enough water (at least 6-7 glasses every day).

Nutritionists advise those who suffer from gout to have one fasting day during the week. On such a day, you can drink kefir or juices, or eat only fruits. In this case, the volume of water you drink should be increased to 2.5 liters.

In addition, a diet for joint disease should help reduce overall body weight, since extra pounds put additional strain on the joints in the back and legs. It is recommended to give up cereals and pasta dishes, replacing them with vegetables, reduce daily bread consumption to 100 g, and forget about sugar altogether.

The daily menu of the diet for joint disease should be made in such a way that the caloric content of 4 meals a day is no more than 1900-2000 kcal. And now you know the general principles that need to be followed.