Juicing for Arthritis

According to the National Institutes of Health, arthritis affects about one in every five people in the United States. Arthritis is not a single disease, but a category that includes about a hundred disorders that involve joints (osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common). Most people probably don’t realize how much nutrition can improve the way they feel.

Because arthritis is a disease of inflammation, the most effective — and logical — treatment is anything that fights inflammation. Medical management of arthritis usually starts with ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory medications, and nutritional care starts with anti-inflammatory foods.

I urge you to lose weight if you're overweight. Being overweight puts extra stress on the joints, which increases the risk of wear and tear. In fact, every one pound of weight you lose equates to four pounds less stress and pressure on your knees. But there is another reason why being overweight is a problem. Body fat is not just an inert substance, it is metabolically active, capable of producing hormones and chemicals that actually increase levels of inflammation. By losing weight — and avoiding excess calories that can cause weight gain — you’ll automatically reduce the level of inflammation in your body.