I don’t believe in ‘special diets’ – there is no robust evidence to suggest that for any kind of arthritis, other than gout, cutting out certain foods or eating particular things will help treat the condition. Anecdotally, some people do find symptom relief from avoiding foods that don’t seem to agree with them (I know I seem to get more sore when I drink white wine, no idea why and funnily enough it doesn’t seem to happen with gin). What is proven to help is eating a healthy, balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight. Yes, very boring, I know, but try to think of it this way: - Every extra pound you lose reduces the pressure on your knee joints by four pounds(Meisser;2005)
- A healthy diet helps protect you against cardiovascular disease and cancer (Scarborough, Nnoaham, Clarke, Rayner, Capewell ; 2010)
- Vegetables give you an attractive glow (Stephen; 2011)
So, eating well equals moving better, living longer and looking hotter. Not so boring now!
