Fibrous foods aids arthritis treatment by relieving arthritis symptoms

As per the latest research studies, adults who eat lot of fibrous foods are at low risk of getting osteoarthritis that causes knee pain and stiffness.

Plant based foods that are rich in fiber have many health benefits like lowering cholesterol, controlling blood sugar level in diabetics and healthy weight gain.

Dr Zhaoli Dai, lead author of Tufts University reported that many people in US don’t consume enough fiber and it is estimated that the average fiber intake among US adults is about 15 grams which is very much below the recommended level of fiber intake which is 22.4 grams for women and 28 grams for men per day.

Fibrous foods for arthritis treatment

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common condition in adults aged 60 years and more. Osteoarthritis arises as a result of wear and tear on the joints that degrades cartilage and leads to bone abnormalities.

It is very much painful and is also a leading cause of disability. There is no treatment for osteoarthritis. The only option available is joint replacement and few therapies are done to control symptoms like pain and swelling by suggesting anti-inflammatory drugs.

We know that dietary fiber helps in preventing obesity and also reduces inflammation which can be seen in arthritis.

The study was conducted by Dr Zhaoli Dai’s team on two groups that included 4,796 men and women who are at risk of arthritis or already with arthritis. They took diet and arthritis risk over time into consideration.

They found that people who consumed most dietary fiber at the start of the study were 30% less likely to develop knee pain, stiffness or swelling than those who consumed less fibrous diet. They conducted their study for four years of follow-up.

Whereas in another study by Framingham Offspring that included 1,268 adults in their early 50s, the persons who consumed high fiber had 61% lower risk of osteoarthritis symptoms.

So they concluded that increased fiber intake can ease arthritis symptoms like inflammation and maintains healthy weight. Fiber acts as a pre-biotic and helps in growth of beneficial microbes in the gut that in turn reduces inflammation.

You can also checkout natural arthritis prevention tips and home remedies for arthritis to get relief from knee pain.

So it is recommended for older adults who are obese or overweight to include more amount of dietary fiber in their diet to reduce knee arthritis as it is found to be an economic way to put knee arthritis at bay.