Osteoarthritis Can be Treated with Dietary Omega-3 Fats
According to a recently conducted study, those suffering from osteoarthritis could be helped with the simple addition of omega-3 fatty acids to their diet. Nearly 50 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis and over 21 million have trouble doing everyday activities such as climbing stairs or getting dressed. This recently published research may be the key ingredient reducing the amount of people suffering from this condition and may even aid in slowing the progression in those already diagnosed.
To examine the effects omega-3’s have on the development of osteoarthritis, researchers altered the diets of guinea pigs. What the researchers found was that dietary omega-3 fats were actually very effective at treating OA and reduced the majority of disease indicators. This isn’t completely surprising information, however, since omega-3 fats already have a history with treating inflammatory-related health problems.
Unfortunately much of the seafood in the oceans today is highly contaminated, so acquiring your omega-3 fats from low quality fish may not be the best option. Foods like flax seeds, walnuts, soybeans, and halibut are all great sources for omega-3 fats, and turning to these foods instead of ingesting contaminated seafood is probably a good decision. Of course there are other alternatives available as well like boswellia, ginger, or bromelain, all of which possess anti-inflammatory properties which can relieve some of the pain brought on by the disease.
Other Ways to Help Treat Osteoarthritis
There are many solutions for treating osteoarthritis, and many of them are utilized naturally by healthy individuals. If you live an unhealthy lifestyle and find yourself being obese, for example, there is a much higher chance of you suffering from this health problem. Exercising regularly can easily help ward off OA due to the preservation of bone density and joint function. You may also find that supplementing with vitamin D could be helpful since low vitamin D levels are associated with cartilage loss in your knees.
I agree. I don't like fish at all and have never eaten it. I was diagnosed at 28 with osteoarthritis in my spine. One of the things I did was start to use Omega3 and it amde a huge difference to the amount of pain and stiffness. I also agree a good exercise programme is imperative. However I would like to say that the exercises should be designed not only for people with osteoarthritis but also for the amount of osteoarthritis they have. Someone with mild should be doing a different programme to someone with moderate or severe. You can go to http://www.ExercisesForOsteoarthritis.com to learn more about this.