Eating To Avoid Arthritis

1 min

We know that body fat raises the risk of arthritis, but diet may also have a role. Investigators at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation have found that carbohydrates – particularly sugar and fiber – can increase the chances of developing osteoarthritis – at least in mice. Their study showed that a high sugar diet led to increased signs of joint inflammation and that a high fiber diet caused undesirable changes in cartilage genes. “It’s important to understand how our diet affects the health of our joints,” noted lead researcher Tim Griffin, Ph.D. who added that he and his team were “surprised to see so many osteoarthritis-related differences between the two high-carb diets even though (the) body weight and body fat (of the mice) were the same.” (The researchers are now planning to investigate how different types of dietary fiber and other foods might influence or contribute to osteoarthritis. They’ll also look at the role the microbiome and gut bacteria play. In addition to carrying extra body weight – and perhaps, your diet – the risks of osteoarthritis include high-impact physical activities, previous joint injuries, age and genetics.

Source:
Timothy M. Griffin. “Independent effects of dietary fat and sucrose content on chondrocyte metabolism and osteoarthritis pathology in mice.” Disease Models & Mechanisms, August 31, 2018; dmm.034827 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.034827

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