Vitamins and Arthritis

Many people live with the debilitating pain and disabling effects of arthritis and vitamins could help in both its prevention and treatment.

There are many types of arthritis, with osteoarthritis being the most commonly experienced, especially as our population ages.

In osteo-arthritis, the cartilage at the ends of joints is broken down and eroded, reducing the cushioning between joints and leading to pain and difficult joint movement. Osteoarthritis is most often found in the weight-bearing — and most frequently used — joints, such as the hips, spine, knees, ankles, fingers and neck.

It makes sense to look at which nutrients in the diet contribute to cartilage and joint health.

Vitamins and Arthritis Prevention

Maintaining healthy cartilage and joints is essential to preventing arthritis, especially as we age. Normal wear and tear over the lengths of our lives leads to a natural deterioration in the health of our cartilage and joints, if we do not take measures to regenerate what is lost in that natural process.

Glucosamine sulfate is the most frequently mentioned nutrient in arthritis, because it is a naturally occurring amino acid and sugar combination that is found in the joints and that maintains cartilage health. Glucosamine protects our joints and reduces inflammation, and actually repairs joints by stimulating cartilage production.

Although it is found naturally in the body, people at risk of or suffering arthritis may benefit from a glucosamine supplement.

Certain vitamins, especially those from the antioxidant family, also help protect the joints and cartilage by killing off attacks from free radicals.

Vitamin C, in addition to its antioxidant value, is also responsible for the body's production of collagen, the main protein in cartilage.

Vitamin E also has proactive functions in addition to the defensive antioxidant actions. Vitamin E both protects against cartilage degeneration and contributes to its regeneration by stimulating cartilege components.

Vitamins and Arthritis Treatment

It's been shown that people with osteo-arthritis experience a slower rate of joint deterioration when they have a lot of anti oxidants — again, easy to get from a diet rich in fresh vegetables and fruits.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, the best antioxidant fruits and vegetables are:

blueberries
blackberries
cranberries
strawberries
spinach
raspberries
Brussels sprouts
plums
broccoli
beets
avocados
oranges
red grapes
red bell peppers
cherries
kiwis

As mentioned, in addition to their antioxidant defensive properties, Vitamins E and C play a role in promoting healthy cartilage, which can help ease the effects of arthritis.

A Vitamin C supplement may be important for arthritis sufferers who take aspirin to deal with pain, because aspirin saps the body of Vitamin C.

Consult your doctor about medication you are taking for arthritis and vitamins that you may need to supplement, either to boost your joint protection or to deal with nutritional deficiencies that may be contributing to degeneration of your cartilage and joint health.