Osteoarthritis and diet

Q. I have been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis but want to go along the natural route and have been told that diet can help a lot with this condition. What foods should I be eating?

Osteoarthritis is a condition that affects the joints. It is the most common type of arthritis in the UK. The symptoms of osteoarthritis vary greatly from person to person, and between different affected joints.

The NHS state that there are three key characteristics of osteoarthritis these are:

1. Mild inflammation of the tissues in and around the joints

2. Damage to cartilage, the strong, smooth surface that lines the bones and allows joints to move easily and without friction

3. Bony growths that develop around the edge of the joints.

Arthritis means inflammation (itis) of a joint (arthron). There is no ‘cure’ for osteoarthritis, but the symptoms could be eased. The core of a nutritional based approach is based on the theory that osteoarthritis could be a result of underlying biological systems being out of sync. These underlying biological processes are dependant on nutrients, when we get the right nutrients in the body it could be possible to reduce inflammation and even reduce pain.

One of the single most important factors is keeping blood sugar levels even. This is of the utter most importance as one of the main causes of inflammation and damage to the joints is glycation, this is damage caused by sugar. Gylcation is inflammation that is caused by sugar imbalances. This could be why there is a strong link between diabetes and arthritis, and diabetics often have more severe arthritis than non diabetic sufferers (1). Balance blood sugar levels by eating regularly, swapping processed food for natural foods, and eating protein with carbohydrates.

Example of this are

Unsalted nuts with whole fresh fruit.

Wholemeal bread and poached eggs with tomatoes and mushrooms

Salmon and rice served with fresh steamed greens

Almond nut butter on oat cakes

Herbs and spices are also another important ingredient, not only for adding flavours to dishes but research has highlighted that they could also be very effective at reducing pain caused by inflammation. The most interesting being:-

Curcumin found in turmeric, Quercetin found in tea, red onions and apples, ginger, Bromelain found in pineapples, and hydroxytyrosol found in olives. These work within the body in a similar way as the most popular anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs, they block COX-1 and COX-2  which produce thromboxane and prostacyclin which cause pain and inflammation.

Make sure that you increase your consumption of these foods and include them in your daily diet.

There is mounting research that conclusively shows that fish oil supplementation can help reduce the inflammation of arthritis. Fish oil is high in Omega 3, eating two servings of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring or fresh tuna is advisable.

Before supplementing your diet, even with over the counter nutrients always check with a qualified professional. As many nutrients do similar jobs to medication for example both aspirin and fish oil both thin the blood, the same is true for medication such as warfarin. So it is always best to check that the supplements you want to take are compatible with any medication or existing condition that you may have.

If you require any further information why not book a one to one consultation and get your own personalised diet.

1 L.Sokoloff ‘Endemic forms of osteoarthritis’ Clinics in Rheumatic disease vol 11 1985

2 R.J Goldberg ‘A meta-analysis of the analgestic effects of omega 3, polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for inflammatory joint pain’ Pain vol 129 2007

Teriyaki Salmon (serves two)

Teriyaki Salmon

• 2 salmon fillets
• 2 tbsp tamari (wheat free soy sauce) or dark soy sauce
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 small chilli finely chopped
• 2 tbsp mirin (Japanese rice cooking wine)
• 1-2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 chunk of ginger, finely grated (the easiest was to peel fresh ginger is to scrape the skin off using the edge of a spoon then grate it as you would grate cheese)
• 1 sheet of soba / egg noodles
• bunch of coriander chopped
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• extra lime juice
• stir fry vegetables

Preparation method

Heat 1tbsp of sesame seed oil in a pan and fry the ginger, garlic and chopped chilli.

Add the zest and juice of the lime and pour in the tamari/ soy sauce. Add the maple syrup or xylitol and cook for 1 minute or until reduced and sticky.

Meanwhile, stir fry some vegetable and pan-fry the two pieces of salmon for 2 minutes each side in a hot griddle pan.

When the sauce is reduced add the salmon to the teriyaki sauce frying pan and coat.

Cook and drain the noodles, adding the sesame oil, seasoning and coriander and a squeeze of lime. Serve the salmon on a bed of noodles with extra vegetables and top with chopped coriander.

I have adapted this recipe so it contains maple syrup instead of cane sugar, although this is a source of sugar pure maple syrup also contains manganese, zinc and natural antioxidants which are important nutrients for a healthy immune system.

Oaty Pancakes makes 3-4 pancakes

75g of oatmeal 75g of wholemeal self raising organic flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 large egg

150ml of milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

1 tablespoon of butter or virgin coconut butter

place all ingredients expept butter in a bowl and whisk with an electic whisk for 1 minute

Use a good non-stick pan so the pancake can be loosen easily.

Make sure the pan is hot (but not smoking hot) before you put the batter

Set your heat to medium low.

Make sure the heat is well distributed so it will give your pancake a more even colour.

pour in about 3 tablespoons of batter.

Cook for just under a minute - using a spatula to keep an eye on how it's cooking.

Cook the other side for 15 seconds.

Alcohol and pregnancy

Is it safe to have a few alcoholic drinks when im pregnant?The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) advises that women who are pregnant should avoid alcohol especially in the first three months because of the increased risk of miscarriage. The Department of Health recommends that you avoid drinking alcohol altogether if you’re pregnant. This is because if you drink when you are pregnant the alcohol passes to your unborn baby through your placenta. In the developing immature body of your baby alcohol is broken down much slower than in an adult's body. As a result, the alcohol level of the baby's blood can be higher and remain elevated longer than the level in the mother's blood. This could cause the baby to suffer lifelong damage. No level of alcohol use during pregnancy has been proven safe. So it would be wise to avoid alcohol whilst pregnant to ensure you and your unborn baby is in the best possible health.

The benefits of Tomatoes

I love tomatoes and want to know if they are good for you and if you can eat too many of them? The good news is they are full of nutrients and an added bonus is they are low in calories. Tomatoes are high in vitamins C, vitamin A and vitamin K. They also contain B3, Lycopene and fibre. Tomatoes contain a lot of beta-carotene which is believed to help neutralizes the free radicals that could cause illnesses and disease. They also contain fibre which is good for maintaining healthy bowels, good blood sugar levels, and helping to reduce high cholesterol. Vitamin K is very good for bones health. Tomatoes also have antiseptic benefits and they have an alkaline effect on the body when eaten. Drinking tomato juice also holds benefits. The juice is considered to be an anti - inflammatory. It's recommended for people who smoke and those not active for long periods at a time such as when flying, it's good also for those with diabetes type 2. Just cooking tomatoes for a few minutes can increase the lycopene up to 54%. Research has shown that men with prostate cancer who consumed tomato based sauces at least twice a week had a longer survival rate. Another study showed that women who ate oil based tomato products at least twice a week had a 34% lower risk of heart disease. However, eating very large quantities can interfere with calcium absorption. Tomatoes are sensitive to cold, and being placed in the fridge could impede their ripening process, store them at room temperature and out of direct exposure to sunlight. To speed up the ripening process, place them in a paper bag with a banana or apple the ethylene gas that these fruits emit will help speed up the tomato's maturation!!