The best course of action to take sometimes is not apparent until you’ve listed and considered all the alternatives. The following tips should help you in what experts believe changes are important when it comes to controlling the pain of arthritis.

Arthritis is one of the most common health problems that the aging of the population today. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which usually affects weight-bearing joints such as ankles, knees and hips. The pain is due to progressive failure of the cartilage, cushions, pillows and flexible joints.

About 85% of adults who reach the age of 85 will have osteoarthritis unless they take a proactive approach to prevent it. Exercise is very important. But what about diet? For a long time, doctors doubted there could be any link between diet and osteoarthritis. They saw the disease as a natural result of wear and tear on the joints, something inevitable as we age.

But new research is to reconsider that idea. Now it seems that nutrition plays a vital role in helping to prevent or mitigate the effects of osteoarthritis. A key component is vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and may protect joints from the damaging effects of free radicals (unstable molecules that can cause inflammation of the joints.

Recent research shows that vitamin C may help prevent bone and cartilage defects associated with aging. Specifically, when you need to repair articular cartilage, vitamin C helps with the needed repairs. It helps keep your younger cartilage.

The information about Arthritis presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Arthritis or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes. According to Dr. Timothy McAlindon of the Boston University School of Medicine, Vitamin C may also help generate collagen, which enhances the body’s ability to repair damage to the cartilage.

When scientists at the Boston University School of Medicine studied the eating habits of people with osteoarthritis of the knee, they found that those getting the most vitamin C, more than 200 milligrams a day, were three times less likely to have the disease get worse than those who got the least vitamin C, less than 120 milligrams a day.

Dr. McAlindon recommends that people get a least 120 milligrams of vitamin C every day. That’s the amount in a couple of oranges, he says. Dr. Michael F. Roizen and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, authors of You, The Owner’s Manual, recommend even more. Shoot for 1200 milligrams of vitamin C a day, spread between your diet and supplements throughout day. Be careful not to overdo it. Some data suggest that more than 2,500 milligrams a day can have the opposite effect and actually increase the risk of osteoarthritis.

Dr. Eve Campanelli, a holistic family practitioner in Beverly Hills, CA, recommends black cherry juice. She advises her patients to drink two glasses, twice a day, of four ounces of the juice diluted with four ounces of water. Other fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C include oranges, cantaloupe, broccoli, strawberries, peppers, and cranberry juice. A healthy diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, has been recommended by nutritionists for years. Now there’s another reason to pay attention. It can help your joints to stay young!

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of arthritis. Share your knowledge of Arthritis with others. They thank you.

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