Study: Fruits & Vegetables Reduce Knee Pain

[Raul_SJ]

Knee pain is one of the most common ailments among older adults and a common symptom of knee osteoarthritis. A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging found that the severity of knee pain decreased significantly with increasing fruit and vegetable intake.

The study included 6,588 adults from the 2010-11 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Severity of knee pain was measured using a 10-point numeric rating scale. The results showed that an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption was positively associated with a decreased prevalence of severe knee pain.

Fruits are loaded with antioxidants, fiber, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. Some help by reducing the inflammation that affects people with arthritis.



The Arthritis Foundation recommends that tart cherries, strawberries, red raspberries, avocados, watermelon and grapes offer the best protection against inflammation and knee pain for arthritis sufferers.

As far as vegetables are concerned, going green, yellow and orange offer the best protection for your joints. During the metabolic process, harmful byproducts called free radicals are produced which can damage cells. Free radicals also contribute to the inflammation of joints, as well as the development of rheumatoid arthritis. Dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard and bok choy are loaded with antioxidants that protect cells from free radical damage. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and bok choy) offer another benefit — a natural compound called sulforaphane which helps block the inflammatory process and may deter cartilage damage in osteoarthritis.

Other protective vegetables recommended by the Arthritis Foundation include sweet potatoes, red peppers, squash, carrots, green peppers, onions, garlic, leeks, olives and shallots.

The Arthritis Foundation offers a comprehensive list of foods that can help reduce inflammation and knee pain due to osteoarthritis. Their top choices include:

• Fish: particularly tuna, salmon, mackerel and herring for their omega-3 fatty acids;

• Soybeans: tofu or edamame contain an abundance of omega-3 fatty acids;

• Extra virgin olive oil: contains oleocanthal, which has anti-inflammatory properties similar to non-steroidal drugs (also walnut oil, which has 10 times the omega-3 fatty acids as olive oil);



• Low fat dairy products: milk, yogurt and cheese increase bone strength, also contain vitamin D for calcium absorption and increased immune system function;

• Green tea: contains antioxidants that reduce inflammation and slow cartilage destruction;

• Whole grains: produce lower levels of C-reactive protein in the blood, which decrease inflammation;

• Beans: particularly red, kidney and pinto help to lower C-reactive protein.

http://www.richmondregister.com/com...cle_ff1d9822-c3f3-11e7-b541-3b8d9112b74d.html

 

[ollinger]

The study apparently was not a study at all in the usual sense but data culled retrospectively from an old survey of patients, so it's not clear they controlled for other factors such as weight change, other dietary changes, activity level, etc. Not the sort of research one would draw firm conclusions from.

 

[T1000]

olive oil and fish oil relieve joint pain and pineapple has anti inflammatory enzymes. Not sure about other foods but including those three in your diet should help

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

@Raul_SJ

olive oil and fish oil relieve joint pain and pineapple has anti inflammatory enzymes. Not sure about other foods but including those three in your diet should help

Not yet read this "study" but am aware that cherry juice, dark cherries and various teas have been touted for relief of inflammation and pain.

https://www.drweil.com/health-welln...one-joint/cherry-juice-to-relieve-joint-pain/
http://blog.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/health-benefits-of-tea/

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

@ollinger

I know 1st-hand that a bag of frozen peas or corn on the knee can reduce pain/inflammation. Willing to bet that other frozen fruits/veggies will work as well.

 

[SteveI]

Nice summary... To be honest if you have knee issues you know all of this. Nothing new here for me.. "Arthritis 101"..

I picked up a book "Arthritis for Dummies" about 5 years ago.. all of this and more is contained in the book.

 

[SteveI]

@ollinger

I know 1st-hand that a bag of frozen peas or corn on the knee can reduce pain/inflammation. Willing to bet that other frozen fruits/veggies will work as well.

I use a cold compress you can get at Walmart for under $9.00... a bag of frozen peas or corm would also so the job!!!

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

I use a cold compress you can get at Walmart for under $9.00... a bag of frozen peas or corm would also so the job!!!

Caveat: Don't leave the bag of frozen peas on your knee for extended periods of time. Normally, I would leave it on for 20 mins or so. There are times when I was busy working and would leave the bag on my knee for hours at a time. I would end up smelling like pea soup after a while. Perhaps frozen corn would have been a better choice.

 

[Raul_SJ]

@Raul_SJ


Not yet read this "study" but am aware that cherry juice, dark cherries and various teas have been touted for relief of inflammation and pain.

https://www.drweil.com/health-welln...one-joint/cherry-juice-to-relieve-joint-pain/
http://blog.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/health-benefits-of-tea/

I don't really like eating/drinking any of the foods listed.
Googling indicates that taking Omega 3/Fish oil tablets provides the equivalent benefit as eating fish.
Will need to check about cherry juice, dark cherries and green teas and whether tablets can be substituted.

 

[ollinger]

best protection against inflammation

pineapple has anti inflammatory enzymes

cherries and various teas have been touted for relief of inflammation

frozen peas or corn on the knee can reduce pain/inflammation

would be great, except that most knee pain involves osteoarthritis, which is actually not a particularly inflammatory process, very unlike some of the other forms of arthritis, such as gout, lupus, rheumatoid, etc.

 

[SteveI]

In general following the OPs post, you would reduce overall inflammation in your body. That is a very .. very good thing. Ice and heat are great for sore knees. Just have to when and how long to apply each. Dr. Ollie correct regarding OA... Following the OPs advice is still a great idea.. even for non tennis players athletes.

Going to have some green tea.. followed by some tart cherry juice with a side order of pineapple..

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

would be great, except that most knee pain involves osteoarthritis, which is actually not a particularly inflammatory process, very unlike some of the other forms of arthritis, such as gout, lupus, rheumatoid, etc.

So, even tho' -itis implies inflammation, an inflammatory process may or may not be a significant factor? A misnomer, perhaps?

BTW, whether or not frozen peas/corn has much of an effect on a possible overactive inflammatory response, it still works wonders for pain managment

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

I don't really like eating/drinking any of the foods listed.
Googling indicates that taking Omega 3/Fish oil tablets provides the equivalent benefit as eating fish.
Will need to check about cherry juice, dark cherries and green teas and whether tablets can be substituted.

Dry capsules or gel caps are generally better than tablets. Tablets will often contain binding agents that sometimes prevents adequate dissolving of the tablet. And further, even if the tablet dissolves, the binding agents can still interfere with absorption/assimilation of the desired nutrients. That said, Source Naturals tablets may be better than tablets from other sources -- superior, non-interferring binding agents?

Real food will, more often than not, will be superior to supplements for effectiveness or nutritional benefit. Supplements will often be missing important co-factors that are present in real food. Some of the more expensive supplements may contain these co-factors but, I believe, that not enough is know about the whole nutritional picture to be sure that we can get the same nutritional value from supplements as we would get from eating a variety of real foods.

 

[Ronaldo]

Caveat: Don't leave the bag of frozen peas on your knee for extended periods of time. Normally, I would leave it on for 20 mins or so. There are times when I was busy working and would leave the bag on my knee for hours at a time. I would end up smelling like pea soup after a while. Perhaps frozen corn would have been a better choice.

Left a bag of frozen smelt on my knee too long. Bad choice

 

[ollinger]

So, even tho' -itis implies inflammation, an inflammatory process may or may not be a significant factor?

plenty of historical misnomers in medicine, tennis elbow still often referred to as lateral epicondylitis even though the pathological studies generally don't show inflammation. Osteoarthritis seems to be more due to chronic trauma than an etiological inflammatory process.

 

[NuBas]

You shouldn't be so surprised at any findings that show natural foods being beneficial to humans. All foods produced by nature will all have benefits because it has life giving energy as opposed to man made food.

 

[ollinger]

You shouldn't be so surprised at any findings that show natural foods being beneficial to humans. All foods produced by nature will all have benefits because it has life giving energy as opposed to man made food

always odd how people misinterpret findings. The study cited here isn't about "natural" foods, it's about fruits and vegetables. Meat, poultry, fish, grains can all be "natural" as well, but weren't part of the authors' hypothesis. For all we know, the study's result was because some "natural" foods such as fish and chicken may have increased knee pain.

 

[GBplayer]

Incorrect technique causes a lot of joint problems. Most people don't walk properly. This causes foot, ankle, knee, hip and back problems.

 

[ollinger]

Most people don't walk properly

is this your own speculation?

 

[Raul_SJ]

So, even tho' -itis implies inflammation, an inflammatory process may or may not be a significant factor? A misnomer, perhaps?

I've been diagnosed with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis. Conventional theory is that Knee OA is typically caused by "wear and tear/overuse". "Wear and Tear" --> inflammation --> loss of cartilage.

If I understand correctly there is also an alternate theory that OA is driven strictly by inflammation; i.e. without overuse. If one accepts the inflammation theory then one can develop OA through an inflammatory diet and the OP article lists food that can combat the inflammation.

Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and bok choy) offer another benefit — a natural compound called sulforaphane which helps block the inflammatory process and may deter cartilage damage in osteoarthritis.Green tea: contains antioxidants that reduce inflammation and slow cartilage destruction;​

In any case, regardless of the root cause and main driver of OA (wear and tear vs inflammation) , OA results in loss of cartilage. And the OP article indicates some foods that have cartilage protection benefits.

Summary

Osteoarthritis (OA) has long been considered a “wear and tear” disease leading to loss of cartilage. OA used to be considered the sole consequence of any process leading to increased pressure on one particular joint or fragility of cartilage matrix. Progress in molecular biology in the 1990s has profoundly modified this paradigm. The discovery that many soluble mediators such as cytokines or prostaglandins can increase the production of matrix metalloproteinases by chondrocytes led to the first steps of an “inflammatory” theory.

However, it took a decade before synovitis was accepted as a critical feature of OA, and some studies are now opening the way to consider the condition a driver of the OA process. Recent experimental data have shown that subchondral bone may have a substantial role in the OA process, as a mechanical damper, as well as a source of inflammatory mediators implicated in the OA pain process and in the degradation of the deep layer of cartilage. Thus, initially considered cartilage driven, OA is a much more complex disease with inflammatory mediators released by cartilage, bone and synovium. Low-grade inflammation induced by the metabolic syndrome, innate immunity and inflammaging are some of the more recent arguments in favor of the inflammatory theory of OA and highlighted in this review.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1063458412010254

​

 

[Raul_SJ]

Incorrect technique causes a lot of joint problems. Most people don't walk properly. This causes foot, ankle, knee, hip and back problems.

I would think humans naturally know how to walk correctly.

 

[GBplayer]

Repeat post.

 

[GBplayer]

Repeat post.

 

[GBplayer]

is this your own speculation?

No, when I had leg problems the NHS sent me to physiotherapy for rehabilitation, where I was shown a proper gait. I no longer have any leg problems.

I would think humans naturally know how to walk correctly.

No they don't.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

@GBplayer

I would think humans naturally know how to walk correctly.

Perhaps before we started wearing shoes we knew how to walk correctly.

 

[GBplayer]

@GBplayer


Perhaps before we started wearing shoes we knew how to walk correctly.

Probably true, once you have armour on your feet you feel indestructible. Also when life expectancy was shorter, long term wear and tear issues weren't on the agenda.

 

[Goosehead]

olive oil and fish oil relieve joint pain and pineapple has anti inflammatory enzymes. Not sure about other foods but including those three in your diet should help

ha I was just thinking about pineapple and its anti inflamm properties..had some earlier.

 

[SteveI]

ha I was just thinking about pineapple and its anti inflamm properties..had some earlier.

Great stuff ...

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

Study shows the eating real food makes your body work good.