How To Eat For Joint Diseases?
Author: Joe Fowler
Time for reading: ~5
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
In this article, learn more about How To Eat For Joint Diseases?. In joint diseases, it is good to avoid certain foods..
what causes the occurrence of degenerative joint diseases?
There are many reasons and sometimes not just one, but a combination of them. These diseases can be caused by various infections caused by bacteria or viruses or their toxins. They may be from chemical agents, from trauma, of genetic origin, or they may also be autoimmune. A trigger for joint degenerative diseases is some type of stress for the body. Stress always lowers the level of immunity or destroys it and the body becomes susceptible to all kinds of diseases. Usually, where there is a genetic predisposition, a gene can be unlocked and the disease can occur.
- To what extent can a healthy diet affect degenerative joint diseases?
Degenerative joint diseases are many and varied. In some of them we have a violation of lipid metabolism, in others it is a violation of carbohydrate metabolism, in others it is a violation of the metabolism of minerals and vitamins. But in all of them the main treatment is a proper diet, healing nutrition.
- What foods should be strictly avoided by people with joint diseases?
Above all, foods of unnatural origin should be avoided, to which many chemicals have been added - enhancers, flavors, colors, preservatives, so-called E's.
Another group of foods that should be excluded is that with added hydrogenated fatty acids, as trans fatty acids are extremely harmful to the body.
The third group of foods that should be avoided is those containing simple sugars that are quickly absorbed.
Foods obtained in contaminated environments should also be avoided. The air is extremely polluted, and so is the water and soil. Plants synthesize nutrients from minerals in soil, air and water. When a soil is contaminated or poor in minerals, then there is a shortage of plants, and hence nutrient deficiencies in people who consume them. That is why it is very important to eat real, unprocessed, natural food, grown in a clean environment, with natural means.
- What exactly should these patients eat and why?
It depends on what metabolic disorders the particular patient has. My main recommendation for everyone is to switch to dairy and plant foods. It is desirable to consume fish, fish products, seafood at least twice a week. It is very important not to eat huge amounts of meat, as is the habit of modern Bulgarians. Of course, meat should not be completely excluded from the menu, but it should be consumed less frequently, served with fresh salads and, if possible, be environmentally friendly.
- Why excessive consumption of meat harms the joints?
Meat protein is made up of amino acids. The end products of their metabolism are ammonia, uric acid, creatinine, etc., which are deposited in the joints. Meat burdens both the kidneys and the liver, which are mainly involved in metabolism, in detoxifying the body. The liver is the laboratory of our body, and when its work is hampered, so is the work of the kidneys. Thus, instead of toxins and harmful substances being expelled from the body, they begin to be stored in the body. When stored in the joints, they cause inflammation. That is why excessive consumption of meat is extremely harmful.
- Can you give a sample daily menu?
The diet is strictly individual for each person, as patients with joint diseases are generally polymorbid - they suffer from many different comorbidities. If there is a problem in the metabolism, the whole organism suffers. We must take into account the state of the cardiovascular system, the damage to blood vessels, the problems with blood pressure; we must also take into account the condition of the kidneys.
Proper nutrition is very individual, things are not simple and unambiguous. Everyone is a universe. Therefore, for each of the patients I spend an hour and a half, even two hours to talk and find the cause of the disease. Because no matter how much we try to cure the consequence, if we do not eliminate the cause, the disease remains.
- In what quantities should calcium-containing foods and calcium supplements be taken?
The extent to which the patient needs calcium can be judged from the laboratory results obtained for calcium deficiency. In addition, calcium metabolism is not one-factor. It contains magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D and vitamin K. In order to absorb calcium, you can not take only calcium. Overdose should not be allowed. Always in case of imbalance in the body at the expense of one suffers another. Therefore, nutrition must be balanced and precise in each patient. Laboratory tests are needed to see what is deficient, and then to determine what foods to include in the menu, what to exclude and whether there is a need for nutritional supplements at all. As Hippocrates said: let food be your medicine and medicine be food.
- Are there differences between young people with joint problems and adults?
In young people, joint disease may be the result of trauma or a genetic predisposition. The reason may be one, there may be several. Then the diet is very different. Recently, many have "rejuvenated" bone and joint diseases, which were considered to be typical of over middle age. 20-25-year-old people get sick. The main reason is poor nutrition and polluted air, soil and water. The root of these diseases is there. And when we add stress as a trigger, the result is there.
- Does the lack of movement play a role in people's daily lives?
Yes, immobilization is also a factor in the development of bone and joint diseases. A person is healthy when he eats healthily, moves enough and has good thoughts. If there is a violation of these three factors, the disease begins. Therefore, in addition to proper nutrition, I recommend to my patients a good motor regime, a psycho-emotional regime and the closer to nature, the better.