The terms arthrosis and arthritis are often confused and are also called arthrosis-arthritis. But these terms have fundamentally different meanings and different diseases. What unites them is the root (artron) - meaning joint. Arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joint(s) and the inflammatory process, one way or another, affects other organs and systems of the whole body due to autoimmune (for example, rheumatological diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, SLE) or other disorders. With metabolic disorders (for example, gout or diabetes), the joints are affected and, in such cases, the term arthropathy is used. The term arthralgia is used to refer to joint pain of various origins. Arthrosis or osteoarthrosis refers to degenerative changes in joints that occur over the age of 45-50 years due to natural wear and tear. Thus, the fundamental difference between arthritis and arthrosis is that arthritis is an inflammatory disease, while arthrosis is degenerative changes in cartilage due to involutional changes in the body and natural wear and tear of the cartilage tissue of the joints.
Arthritis . The term is often used to describe a group of more than 100 diseases.
These diseases can affect joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments, as well as the skin and some internal organs.
Osteoarthritis is a normal degenerative condition associated with aging. It mainly affects cartilage tissue, which becomes thinner, thickens and loses functionality. Changes in cartilage can lead to pain, decreased mobility, and decreased muscle strength.
Principles and objectives of the diet
To minimize the stress on your joints and stop the progression of the disease, you need to lose weight. For this, a special diet is used, which will normalize metabolic processes and eliminate salt deposits.
Attention!
It is important to select a diet for arthrosis and arthritis of the joints with a high content of calcium and fluorine in the diet, since a deficiency of these elements leads to disruption of the functioning of the bone apparatus. It's important not to overdo it. Excessive consumption increases the chance of osteophyte growth (growth on bone tissue).
Dietary requirements for arthritis and joint arthrosis:
- Reduced calories to help the patient lose weight. It is important to determine this indicator with your doctor or nutritionist;
- Balanced nutrition for arthritis and arthrosis - a set of necessary elements for the functionality of all systems and organs of the patient;
- Consumption of dietary products - raw, boiled, steamed. The frying process increases the calorie content of the dish;
- A sufficient amount of vegetables, fruits and berries with a moderate composition of organic acids;
- Alcohol and carbonated drinks should be completely removed from food;
- The liquid is useful in any form - it is best to make freshly squeezed juices, fruit drinks, compotes, uzvars, medicinal decoctions. Drinking effectively removes toxins from the body and maintains salt balance.
When following a diet, it is important to avoid fasting, when all beneficial microelements are washed out of the body. You should eat food every 2-3 hours. Be sure to have light snacks.
Dietary requirements for illness
Significant help for joints! Vitamins and supplements for arthrosis
Adequate nutrition is very good, but special vitamins are also needed to maintain healthy joints. The most famous and recommended are Glucosamine and Chondroitin "ORIHIRO", which can be purchased from us.
With their help it is possible to:
- slow down the development of the disease;
- significantly improve joint mobility;
- relieve pain when moving;
- reduce swelling and inflammation of joints.
And with regular use, it can also restore connective and cartilage tissue. In fact, achieve treatment for arthrosis using a simple “home” method. If you combine the intake of Chondroitin and glucosamine with proper nutrition and light physical activity (walking), then lasting results can be achieved even faster!
Prohibited and permitted products
When creating a daily menu, you need to know which foods you can’t eat if you have arthritis and arthrosis of the joints, and which you can.
| Authorized Products | Prohibited Products |
| Protein sources include turkey, rabbit, skinned chicken breast, and quail. | Chips, crackers, instant products. |
| Seafood - shrimp, squid, seaweed, fresh and dried. | Strong tea, coffee, alcohol, carbonated drinks. |
| Legumes, lentils in moderation. | Potatoes, tomatoes, white cabbage, eggplant. |
| Healthy carbohydrates - whole grain porridge, rye bread, crispbread. | Fatty pork, beef, duck. |
| Fiber – cauliflower, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, beets, carrots, sweet peppers. | Canned foods, pickles, smoked foods, hot and sour seasonings. |
| Sour fruits in moderation – mango, pineapple, apples, pears, apricots. Citrus fruits - oranges, tangerines. | Whole milk. |
| Calcium containing products - dairy products, hard cheeses, greens. | Confectionery, baked goods. |
| Fish oil, vegetable oils. | Ketchup, mayonnaise. |
| Turmeric, ginger. | Semi-finished meat products. |
Nuts will be beneficial if you eat no more than a tablespoon of chopped product per day. They contain vitamin E and selenium, and therefore help relieve the inflammatory process.
When compiling a daily diet, it is necessary to include buckwheat, oatmeal and rice cereals in the menu, boil them without adding salt and spices, and it is best to steam them with boiling water before going to bed.
Allowed products for artosis and arthritis
The porridge is prepared in the evening the next day. To do this, pour 200 g of cereal with a liter of boiling water. Wrap the pan in a blanket and leave for 6-8 hours. This amount of porridge will be enough for the day. You can add a small amount of milk to it, add fruits, berries, and use it as a side dish for meat or fish.
Interesting!
The rice diet is most suitable for arthritis and arthrosis - cereals help remove harmful toxins from the body and eliminate harmful deposits in the joints. Rice should be eaten on an empty stomach, cooked without salt, sugar or seasonings.
Good nutrition – healthy joints!
What can and should you eat if you have arthrosis? First of all, lean fish and meat, which provide essential protein that restores bone tissue. Meat and fish dishes are very well served with vegetable salad or stewed vegetables, rye bread with bran, and herbal tea. This is a complete meal that will not provide extra calories, but will saturate and enrich the body with vitamins and minerals.
The necessary vitamins are also found in hard cheeses, legumes, grain products, nuts, honey, eggs, and butter. All this should be eaten, but in moderation, since these are quite high-calorie foods.
It is advisable to eat soup once a day. It may include legumes: peas, lentils or cereals: buckwheat, rice. It is not recommended to use rich broths, but boiled meat, poultry, and fish should be included in the diet more often.
Fasting rice diet
To lose extra pounds, you can try spending a fasting day on rice. Breakfast should be served around 9 am, lunch at 2 pm, and dinner at 6 pm.
These hours are considered to be when the human stomach begins to actively work. After 9 pm, consumption of food and water is prohibited as the digestive system is cleansed.
If the patient feels a strong feeling of hunger, then in addition to the main dish, you can add lean fish, chicken, corn, peas, and other vegetables and fruits to the diet.
Before fasting diet, be sure to consult a doctor so as not to harm yourself. After eating, it is useful to do several gymnastic exercises so that the food is properly absorbed by the body. The last meal is 2 hours before bedtime.
Proper nutrition for gouty arthritis
Gouty arthritis is a rheumatological disease caused by deposits of crystallized uric acid in the joints. The pathology manifests itself in frequent attacks accompanied by severe pain. Its characteristic feature, which facilitates diagnosis, is the formation of tophi. These gouty nodules provoke joint deformation. The kidneys are gradually affected, triggering the development of urolithiasis and renal failure. Taking medications is mandatory for gout, but the main role in treatment is given to diet for arthritis. Compliance with it allows you to control the level of uric acid, suppress its production and quickly remove it from the body. The basic principles of proper nutrition include:
- reducing the amount of purine derivatives and oxalic acid entering the body with food;
- reducing proteins, fats, and, if you are overweight, simple carbohydrates in the daily menu;
- consumption of table salt in limited quantities;
- inclusion in the diet of foods that create an alkaline environment - vegetables, fruits, milk;
- drinking 2 liters of liquid during the day in the absence of contraindications.
The main diet for gouty arthritis is considered to be the Pevzner diet No. 6. If it is followed, the metabolism of purine bases is normalized, the concentration of uric acid decreases, and the pH level of urine shifts to normal. The patient consumes about 2800 kilocalories per day. Such nutrition is physiologically complete; only the amount of refractory fats (up to 90 g) and proteins (up to 80 g) is limited. Diet No. 6 E is recommended for obese patients. Its energy value does not exceed 2000 kilocalories. Patients eat fractionally, up to 6 times throughout the day. To speed up the elimination of purine bases, slightly alkaline mineral waters are often consumed. Nutritionists prescribe fasting days for patients 2-3 times a week: cottage cheese (0.5 kg of cottage cheese and 0.5 liters of milk), dairy (1 liter of milk and 0.2 kg of cottage cheese), kefir (2 liters of kefir). Eating 1.5 kg of fruits and vegetables and 0.6 liters of rosehip infusion during the day helps to lose excess weight and cleanse joints of oxalic acid and its salts.
Diagnosis of arthritis
Timely detection and treatment of arthritis or arthrosis will help maintain normal joint function and the ability to lead an active lifestyle even in old age.
For successful treatment of the disease, it is important to establish its cause. In addition to analyzing complaints and symptoms, laboratory and instrumental diagnostic methods help determine the type of arthritis, as well as the severity of the inflammatory process.
- General clinical blood test. An acute process is characterized by an increase in ESR. When the disease is caused by microorganisms, leukocytosis is observed. In case of an allergic reaction, an increase in the number of eosinophils is possible.
- Blood chemistry. It is carried out to determine the cause of the disease, as well as the severity of inflammation.
- Immunological blood test. It is especially relevant in identifying rheumatoid and reactive forms of the disease. Indicates the presence or absence of specific antibodies to infectious pathogens or the patient’s own tissues.
- General urine analysis.
- Radiography. The main instrumental method for diagnosing arthritis. Allows you to determine the condition of the bones and identify changes caused by the inflammatory process.
- CT scan. Used to assess the condition of soft tissues - muscles, articular discs, ligaments.
- Magnetic resonance imaging. Allows you to more clearly examine the earliest changes in bone structures, articular and adjacent tissues.
- Ultrasonography. In case of arthritis, it helps to determine the degree of damage to large joints, the superficial location of which allows you to examine them from different sides, as well as to identify an increased volume of intra-articular fluid.
- Examination of synovial fluid. In the infectious form of arthritis, bacteriological analysis helps to identify the pathogen and select an effective antibacterial drug for treatment.
- Arthroscopy. An endoscopic method that involves inserting a special sensor into the joint cavity.
- Arthrography. Shows the condition of the cartilage and soft tissues that surround the joint.
Sample menu for the week
The table below shows approximate numbers for patients by day of the week.
| Days of the week | Breakfast | Dinner | Afternoon snack | Dinner |
| Monday | Millet porridge with baked chicken breast, a piece of toast, green tea | Vegetarian soup, steamed fish cutlet, compote | Low-fat cottage cheese with dried fruits | Boiled rice, seafood salad |
| Tuesday | Vegetable casserole | Light soup with chicken broth, steamed vegetables | Baked pear, cracker, rosehip drink | Stewed vegetables, green tea |
| Wednesday | Buckwheat porridge on water, toast, weak black tea | Cabbage soup with rabbit meat, seafood salad | Crackers, kefir | Steamed chicken cutlets |
| Thursday | Vegetable casserole | Vegetable soup, boiled meat with side dish, compote | Cottage cheese casserole and herbal tea (chamomile, coltsfoot, linden flowers) | Stewed beans with fish |
| Friday | Low-fat milk omelette with herbs, compote | Vegetarian soup, steamed fish cakes | Cottage cheese with raisins or fruits | Boiled buckwheat with meat zrazy |
| Saturday | Barley porridge, toast, green tea | Rabbit broth soup, toast, jelly | Banana, sugar-free yogurt | Stewed beans with fish |
| Sunday | Oatmeal with water, compote | Beetroot soup, boiled chicken meat | Crackers, fermented baked milk | Buckwheat porridge with baked vegetables |
Eating healthy is not as boring as it might seem at first glance. If you create a menu for the week in advance, you can calculate the calorie content of your diet, buy food and begin transforming your body.
Is it possible to drink coffee if you have joint diseases?
This question worries many patients. In general, this drink is not considered harmful, and the effect on the cardiovascular system is even compared to some drugs. But coffee has a diuretic effect. It not only interferes with the absorption of calcium while taking foods containing it, but also washes this trace element out of the body. This increases the likelihood of developing deforming arthrosis or osteoporosis.
Coffee lovers can do this. First, drink no more than 3 cups of coffee a day. By the way, it is this dose that cardiologists limit. Secondly, do not drink drinks high in calcium with coffee, that is, milk, cheese, nuts should be taken at a different time. Thirdly, you need to further increase your daily calcium intake.
