A good diet is essential for health, and many complementary and alternative therapists advise on diet. Dietary changes can help many people with arthritis, both inflammatory types and osteoarthritis. As well as having a healthy, balanced diet, getting additional nutrients from food supplements may help if you have arthritis.
Many supplements are suggested for helping arthritis. We have searched the research and have found the following to have most support for being effective.
Omega 3
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA (found naturally in oily fish) can be helpful if you have inflammatory arthritis.
It's important not to confuse fish oil with fish liver oil. Lots of people take cod liver oil for osteoarthritis, but there’s no evidence to show that it makes a difference to the condition
Fish oils act quite slowly, so you may want to try them for 3 months to see if you notice any benefit.
To work effectively Omega 3 needs to be balanced with omega 6.
Click on the image to order
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA (found naturally in oily fish) can be helpful if you have inflammatory arthritis.
It's important not to confuse fish oil with fish liver oil. Lots of people take cod liver oil for osteoarthritis, but there’s no evidence to show that it makes a difference to the condition
Fish oils act quite slowly, so you may want to try them for 3 months to see if you notice any benefit.
To work effectively Omega 3 needs to be balanced with omega 6.
Click on the image to order
Glucosamine Sulphate
Many people take glucosamine sulphate tablets with or without added chondroitin for osteoarthritis. Cartilage contains substances related to glucosamine and chondroitin, and taking supplements of these natural ingredients may nourish damaged cartilage.
Glucosamine is naturally found in the joints of the body but rarely found in natural food sources. It is a building block of cartilage and joint tissue. Glucosamine is the basis of the synthesis of several important macromolecules including glycoproteins, glycolipids and glycosaminoglycans. These macromolecules can be found in the synovial fluid, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and muscles.
Click on the image to order
Caution
Glucosamine can increase the level of sugar in the blood, so if you have diabetes it would be useful to discuss glucosamine with your doctor before you start to take it. You should also speak with your doctor if your blood sugars seem to be rising after starting glucosamine.
If you’re taking warfarin your blood-thinning control (international normalised ratio or INR) may be affected, so make sure you have your regular blood checks and discuss using glucosamine with your doctor.