Clinical Study Proves Positive Effects of Mediterranean Diet on Osteoarthritis

Encouraging research findings by University of Kent.

Research was conducted for the first time in the UK to examine the effects of a Mediterranean style diet on a group of osteoarthritis sufferers in the UK.

The study involved 99 participants, half of whom were put on a Mediterranean style Diet, while the other group continued eating their usual diet.

After sixteen weeks, blood samples taken from the Mediterranean Diet group showed a marked decrease in cartilage degradation and inflammation. Their joints were also more flexible compared to when they started following the new diet.

Dr Lex Mauger, co-author of the study and Director for BSc Sports Science at the University of Kent, said:

“The Mediterranean diet has previously been associated with a number of health benefits, but the exciting finding with this study is that specific guidance on adhering to this type of diet can change eating behaviour and result in a number of beneficial physiological changes, relevant to osteoarthritis, in a relatively short period of time.

“As osteoarthritis is a chronic disease, treatment is primarily about managing the symptoms, and this study shows that eating healthily may help form part of that treatment strategy. Benefits from the intervention in this study were evident after only 4 months, so it is possible that an even greater benefit could be seen in people who make longer-term improvements to their normal diet.”

It was good to read about the results of this independent study as I have previously written about how altering my diet helped me feel better and helped decrease my symptoms. Like the participants of the study, I too felt an improvement within the first few months of my new eating plan. This encouraged me to continue and my symptoms have now diminished to a great extent. I would therefore happily recommend the benefits of eating in a more Mediterranean way to anyone who is looking for a natural way to help themselves to feel better.

Source: Effect Of A Mediterranean Type Diet On Inflammatory And Cartilage Degradation Biomarkers In Patients With Osteoartritis,  J. DYER, G. DAVISON, S.M. MARCORA, A.R. MAUGER, Journal of Nutrtion Health and Aging, September 2016.

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