Arthritis, Rheumatism, Osteoporosis
|
Food intolerances and other allergies/sensitivities can play an important part in most forms of arthritis, as can adverse reactions to certain unusual infections. A careful history may be able to identify these factors - or at least those ones that are suspect. Either elimination diets, together with avoidance of environmental factors, or a laboratory test, will help to pin down the culprits. Desensitisation may be useful in the long term. Nutrition is always important - not just correcting deficiencies but making sure that your Calcium status is satisfactory in the long term; sunlight and Vitamin D - which most people in this country lack, at least in winter - are essential factors in this. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are now recognised as making a major difference to the long-term health of joints. |
It is also important to have adequate amounts of nutrients such as Vitamin C, which is necessary for the production of healthy collagen, Vitamin E, and Zinc. Many people ask about the nutrient Glucosamine; there is good evidence that this can help in some cases. Chondroitin has also been shown in studies to help. But the two of them together, in combination with specific fatty acids, appear to give the best result of all, usually in a relatively short period of about 3 months. We recommend the innovative ultrasound method of assessing bone mineral density and osteoporosis risk - it is cheap, easy, and simple to do, and the literature suggests it may be even more reliable than relatively expensive X-ray methods |