Eat to Beat Knee Osteoarthritis and Other Aching Joints 6 Natural Ways to Ease Symptoms of Arthritis

Medications provide proven arthritis pain relief. But natural remedies are also as close and convenient as your supermarket. The newest studies show the keys to beating knee osteoarthritis and other painful joints may be through your stomach. From fatty fish to tart cherries, here are the right foods and supplements to ease arthritis pain... Good news for those of us who have osteoarthritis and like to eat: The latest osteoarthritis studies suggest certain foods and vitamins, many found in Mediterranean diets, may ease knee osteoarthritis, keep the condition from worsening, or help stop it in the first place. There’s a huge drive “to find natural approaches to treating medical conditions like osteoarthritis,” says Timothy McAlindon, M.D., chief of rheumatology at Tufts Medical Center in Cambridge, Mass. In fact, this research is so cutting-edge, experts say, they’re still working on official guidelines. “The real challenge is to have information that says how much people should take,” says John Hardin, M.D., chief scientific officer for the Arthritis Foundation. Research is ongoing but here’s the latest on vitamins, like C and K, and super-foods such as fish and cherries that may provide arthritis pain relief: 1. Mediterranean foods People in Greece and Italy eat lots of fruits and vegetables, with an emphasis on lean meat, fish, whole grains and olive oil. It’s a diet that promotes a healthy weight and greater joint health, studies show. Women with rheumatoid arthritis who learned to cook Mediterranean-style – and ate more produce, beans and olive oil – had less pain and morning stiffness after six months than those who didn’t make those dietary changes, according to a 2007 Scottish study. A clear cause-and-effect hasn’t been found, but one reason may be that this diet is brimming with antioxidants – including vitamin C – and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which have been associated with an improvement in symptoms of arthritis. Plus, people who follow the Mediterranean diet tend to lose weight, which eases arthritis discomfort. With each pound you gain, the overall force across your knee increases by 2-3 pounds; shedding pounds has the opposite effect. Heavy people who lost just 5% of their body weight lowered their risk for knee osteoarthritis by 5%, according to a 2010 study by the University of North Carolina’s Thurston Arthritis Research Center in Chapel Hill. What to do: Check out the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, which recommends basing meals on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts, legumes, seeds, herbs and spices; eating fish or seafood at least twice per week; moderate portions of yogurt, cheese and eggs; eating meats and sweets less often; drinking water instead of soda or artificially sweetened beverages; and having a glass of wine a day. To get started, try these 10 Mouth-Watering Mediterranean Recipes. Where to find it: Shop in your supermarket’s produce and seafood sections as well as the outer aisles, which usually stock whole meats and dairy instead of processed foods and starches. 2. Selenium This trace mineral helps antioxidants clear out cell-damaging free radicals. In fact, your toenails are loaded with it. Without selenium, new studies show, you run a greater risk of hip and knee osteoarthritis. Researchers have been measuring levels of selenium in the nail beds of nearly 1,000 people – average age 59 – for the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project at UNC’s Thurston Arthritis Research Center in Chapel Hill. The study is ongoing, but so far it’s shown that “people who have low selenium levels are more likely to have knee osteoarthritis,” says rheumatologist Joanne M. Jordan, M.D., the center’s director. What’s more, knee osteoarthritis is more likely to affect both legs and be more severe, she adds. In another part of the study that looked at 786 people ages 45 and older, those with the highest selenium levels in their toenails had about 45% less risk of developing moderate to severe hip arthritis or of getting osteoarthritis in both hips. What to do: More research is needed before specific osteoarthritis-related recommendations can be made, researchers say. But try to meet the U.S. government’s Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 55 micrograms (mcg) per day by eating a varied, healthful diet, she adds. Where to find it: Most nutrition labels don’t list selenium, but plant foods, like mushrooms and nuts, are our main source. It can also be found in some meats and seafood. For example, a 3-ounce serving of light tuna has 63 mcg; 3-1/2 ounces of beef have 35 mcg; a cup of shiitake mushrooms has 28 mcg, and a cup of brown rice has 19 mcg. At 544 mcg per ounce, Brazil nuts are packed with the mineral. (But beware: Consuming too much selenium could cause GI upset, white fingernails, irritability and fatigue.) 3. Vitamin C This onetime cold-fighting champ has been taking a beating lately, but a growing body of research is hinting that it may have a promising future in easing arthritis. A decade ago, the 10-year Framingham Osteoarthritis Cohort Study in Massachusetts found that people who took the most vitamin C had a threefold reduction in the progression of knee osteoarthritis. And in a 2007 Australian study that followed 293 people for 10 years, those who got the most vitamin C in their diets had less cartilage breakdown and less bone degeneration, both of which are associated with osteoarthritis. What to do: The jury’s still out on whether C can slow osteoarthritis progression, says McAlindon, who co-authored the Framingham study. Still, “I tell my patients to have a good intake of fruits and vegetables containing antioxidants,” he says. That way, they easily meet the women’s vitamin C RDA of 75 mg. But don’t overdo supplements, because some research has found that too much C can worsen arthritis. Where to find it: Look for C in a range of fruits and veggies, especially citrus. Some examples: 1/2 cup cooked sweet red pepper has 116 mg; a medium orange, 70 mg; 1/2 cup strawberries, 49 mg; 1/4 cup cantaloupe, 47 mg. 4. Omega-3 fatty acids The oils in fatty fish such as salmon and tuna have long been touted as heart-healthy. But research also suggests they may ease arthritis pain and other inflammatory conditions. Rheumatoid arthritis pain, the duration of morning stiffness and the number of painful or tender joints improved after three months of taking fish oil capsules, according to a Canadian meta-analysis published in the journal Pain in 2007. That may be partly because the body converts fatty acids in fish oil into an inflammation-reducing chemical called resolvin D2, a 2009 study by Harvard Medical School and London Medical School found. Researchers found that the body makes resolvin D2 from omega-3 fatty acids. What to do: The American Heart Association (AHA) advises people without coronary heart disease, which narrows the arteries and vessels that provide oxygen and nutrients to the heart, eat a variety of fatty fish at least twice per week. If you have heart disease, ask your doctor how much fish or supplements you should consume. When buying supplements, look for a distilled brand free of mercury and other contaminants. There hasn’t been enough study of fish oil and arthritis to provide a definitive dosage, so talk to your doctor for a recommendation, Jordan advises. Where to find it: Fatty fish include mackerel, lake trout, herring sardines, salmon and albacore tuna. You can also get omega 3’s from enriched eggs. Canola, walnuts, flaxseed, soy oil and milk, contain oils that the body partially converts into omega 3s. 5. Vitamin K This humble vitamin doesn’t get the attention of C and D, but it’s increasingly linked with arthritis prevention. It’s key for helping blood clot and maintaining strong bones. People 42 and older who don’t get enough vitamin K are more likely to develop bone spurs (bony bumps on joints that hurt when they rub against cartilage or bone) and narrowing of the space between joints (a sign of cartilage breakdown), according to 2006 research at the Boston University School of Medicine and the Tufts University Center on Aging. Both conditions are associated with osteoarthritis. A 2010 follow-up found that people with hand osteoarthritis had about 47% less narrowing between their hand joints if they had sufficient blood levels of K. Although it’s still unknown if K will help prevent osteoarthritis, it may slow its progression, says rheumatologist Tuhina Neogi, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at Boston University, who led both studies. What to do: Aim for at least the RDA of 90 mcg of vitamin K per day. (A caveat: If you take warfarin to thin your blood and prevent clots, ask your doctor if you should avoid vitamin K because it may interfere with the medication.) Where to find it: Eat leafy green vegetables (especially when cooked). A cup of spinach has 889 mcg when cooked, 145 mcg when raw. 6. Cherries Anthocyanin, a tongue-twister of a compound, provides red, blue and purple coloring to fruits, vegetables and even flowers. A well-known anti-inflammatory, it may also provide osteoarthritis pain relief. When 20 men and women with knee osteoarthritis, ages 43-77, took a daily gel cap containing 100 mg of concentrated Montmorency (tart) cherry extract for 12 weeks, about half had 50% improvement in measures of pain, joint tenderness, stiffness and function, according to a 2008 pilot study at Baylor Research Institute in Dallas, Texas. The anthocyanin appears to act like Advil and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), says lead author John J. Cush, M.D., director of clinical rheumatology at Baylor. What to do: Eat lots of red-blue-purple foods, including berries, cherries, plums and even purple carrots or potatoes. But consult your doctor before taking these supplements if you’re on anticoagulants, because they can have mild blood-thinning properties too. Where to find it: Cherries, blueberries and other high-anthocyanin fruits are available fresh, frozen, as juice, and in jams and syrups. Minimal processing may help preserve the anthocyanin content. For more expert advice and information, visit our Osteoarthritis Health Center. Arthritis Recipe: Lemon-Garlic Marinated Shrimp