There has been a lot of hype about certain diets that are claimed to cure or relieve arthritis. Unfortunately no such diet exists. But a balanced diet that includes a wide variety of fresh foods will help your overall health and give you a feeling of well-being. Increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet may also help to provide some benefits for people with rheumatoid arthritis, any form of arthritis will benefit from these dietary methods.

Keeping to a Healthy Weight

A healthy body weight will reduce stress on the major joints like your hips, knees and lower spine. Keeping to a healthy weight is an important part of managing osteoarthritis.

Many hospitals and community centers run weight reduction programs in a friendly helpful environment. You will also find plenty of advice in publications provided by your local pharmacy and library.

Omega - 3 fatty Acids

Omega - 3 fatty acids occur naturally in fish, and especially in oily deep sea fish. These fatty acids help to control inflammation in your body and so may help to ease symptoms of arthritis. You can increase your intake of omega - 3 by taking fish oil supplements, by also increasing the amount of omega - 3 rich fish in your diet, or by doing both of these.

Eating plenty of omega - 3 rich fish has health benefits for your heart as well as arthritis, so it makes sense to enjoy several fish meals every week as well as taking fish oil supplements.

Fresh fish that are rich in omega - 3 include mullet, trout, salmon, herring, sardines and tuna to name a few. Canned fish rich in omega - 3 include herring, sardine and salmon. Canned tuna contains very little omega - 3 as they are removed in the production process.

There is no set amount of fish meals you should eat, but try to aim for 3 to 5 a week. Remember that you don't need to wait till the evening meal to enjoy fish, it can make a great addition to breakfast, lunch and in between snacks as well.
You can also increase your intake of omega - 3's by swapping your usual oil and margarine for canola oil and canola based spreads.

Glucosamine and Osteoarthritis

Glucosamine Sulphate has been clinically proven to be as effective as a prescription medicine for the relief of the symptoms of mild to moderate osteoarthritis. But unlike the pharmaceutical medicines that simply manage the symptoms, glucosamine helps to delay the progression of the disease. Furthermore some of those prescription medications have significant side effects.

Did you know?

&bull It is predicted that 1 in 5 people over the age of 15 years (yes that was 15 folks) will develop some form of arthritic condition.
&bull There are two types of osteoarthritis, primary osteoarthritis due to aging and secondary osteoarthritis which incorporates genetics, obesity and sporting injuries.

Common Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Symptoms include pain, swelling, inflammation and stiffness which limit mobility and therefore has an impact on daily life. These symptoms are caused when cartilage, the smooth covering over the bones in the joint, start to break down over time and the bones come in contact with one another.

Supplements such as those mentioned provide nutritional support in conjunction with your arthritis diet to help maintain healthy joints and for the temporary relief of joint pain associated with arthritis.