What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is the swelling and tenderness (inflammation) of one or more of your joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. The most common types of arthritis are Osteoarthritis and Rhematoid Arthritis and the common signs and symptoms involve the joints. It all depends on the type of Arthritis you have. Some of your signs and sypmtoms may be:
Pain, stiffness, swelling, redness or a decreased range in motion.
Inflammation is usually caused by toxins and oxidative stress (premature aging) built up in the body. Over time the build up of oxidative stress without reduction or neutralization can lead to inflammation. It is known that inflammation is the route cause to all chronic disease, arthritis being one of them.
Risk Factors
Family history. Some types of arthritis run in families, so you may be more likely to develop arthritis if your parents or siblings have the disorder. Your genes can make you more susceptible to environmental factors that may trigger arthritis. Age. The risk of many types of arthritis — including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout increases with age.
Your sex. Women are more likely than men to develop rheumatoid arthritis, while most of the people who have gout, another type of arthritis, are men. Previous joint injury. People who have injured a joint, perhaps while playing a sport, are more likely to eventually develop arthritis in that joint.
Obesity. Carrying excess pounds puts stress on joints, particularly your knees, hips and spine. People with obesity have a higher risk of developing arthritis.
A healthy diet may prevent or slow down the progression of knee arthritis.
**Researchers followed 2,757 people with mild to moderate osteoartheritis in at least one knee. After an average of four years, those who reported eating a "pudent" dietary pattern, that is a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains and legumes (beans) had a lower risk of worsening arthritis as measured by X-rays and by reported pains, stiffnes and disability scores.
So What Can you Do? Aim for a healthy diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains and legumes.
**Dietary Patterns and Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 111, Issue 3, March 2020,