How is osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis related to diet and physical activity?

Answer 1

The most common type of arthritis that disables older people is osteoarthritis, a painful swelling of the joints. During movement, the ends of bones are normally protected from wear by cartilage and by small sacs of fluid that lubricate the joint. With age, the cartilage sometimes disintegrates, and the joints become malformed and painful to move.

Obesity is common among adults with arthritis. Weight loss can help overweight people with osteoarthritis, partly because the joints affected are often weight-bearing joints that are stressed and irritated by having to carry excess pounds. Interestingly, though, weight loss often relieves the worst pain of osteoarthritis in the hands as well, even though they are not weight-bearing joints. Jogging and other weight-bearing activities do not worsen osteoarthritis. In fact, both aerobic activity and weight training offer modest improvements in physical performance and pain relief, especially when accompanied by even modest weight loss.

Two popular supplements for treating osteoarthritis—glucosamine and chondroitin—may alleviate pain and improve mobility, but mixed reports from studies emphasize the need for additional research. Drugs and supplements used to relieve arthritis can impose nutrition risks; some affect appetite and alter the body's use of nutrients.

Another type of arthritis, known as rheumatoid arthritis, has a possible link to diet through the immune system. In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system mistakenly attacks the bone coverings as if they were made of foreign tissue. In some individuals, certain foods, notably a Mediterranean-type diet of fish, vegetables, and olive oil, may moderate the inflammatory responses and provide some relief. The omega-3 fatty acids commonly found in fish oil reduce joint tenderness and improve mobility in some people with rheumatoid arthritis. The same diet recommended for heart health—one low in saturated fat from meats and milk products and high in omega-3 fats from fish—helps prevent or reduce the inflammation in the joints that makes arthritis so painful.