To date, there are no specific nutritional guidelines for what people with osteoarthritis should and should not eat. Studies have shown that maintaining a healthy weight is essential in the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis, and that a balanced diet is the cornerstone of maintaining a healthy weight. Chinese medicine believes that food and medicine have the same origin, and that food is also medicine, and can be used to prevent and treat disease as long as it is used properly. Food-based dietary therapy has an important role in the health care of knee osteoarthritis.
1. Balanced dietary structure
A healthy diet should be based on plant-based foods. About two-thirds of the diet should come from plants, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Another third should include fat-free or low-fat dairy products, and lean protein sources.
Fruits
It is important to eat a variety of fresh, frozen or dried fruits every day, but keep fruit juices to a minimum because they may have a lot of added sugar. The recommended amount of fruit fluctuates with age, gender and activity level.
A daily portion of fresh fruit for adults translates to a large banana, orange and peach or other dried fruit.
Vegetables
Vegetables, especially dark green and orange vegetables, dried beans and peas, are essential health foods. Like fruits, the recommended amount of vegetables depends on your age, gender, and activity level. For adults, double the amount of vegetables per day over fruit, mostly from dark greens such as spinach and cauliflower, orange vegetables such as sweet potatoes, squash and carrots and dried beans such as black beans, cowpeas or chickpeas.
Staple foods
Daily meals should include whole grains – raw foods that are not refined, including whole wheat flour, cracked wheat, oats, whole grain cereals and brown rice. Whole grains with fiber are more beneficial than refined grains, such as white flour, rice, and white bread, which have no fiber. It is recommended to eat 85 grams per day of whole grains such as brown rice, buckwheat, oats, popcorn, whole wheat bread, pasta, crackers and tortillas.
Dairy
Calcium-rich dairy products are an important and healthy food. Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese and yogurt. Adults need about 3 cups of milk per day. 1 cup of milk is equivalent to 42.5 grams of cheese.
Protein
The last group of dietary structure is protein, which includes meat, poultry, fish, dried legumes, nuts and seeds. Dried beans are part of the vegetable group and are also an important low-fat source of protein. Most Americans get enough protein each day; the challenge is to choose low-fat, refined proteins such as chicken, seafood and beans or peas. Grilling, roasting or baking poultry and fish can help reduce the oil and fat content of ingredients.
2.Dietary remedies
Pig tail soup for kidney
【Formula】 1 pig tail, 30 grams of dog’s backbone, 30 grams of jackfruit.
Usage】Put the dog’s backbone and jackfruit in a gauze bag, put them in a casserole with the cleaned pig’s tail, add 6 bowls of water, cook until a bowl, remove the bag, season and drink the soup and eat the meat.
Efficacy】Tonic for the liver and kidney, strengthen the waist and knees.
Indications】Age-related arthritis, hypertrophic spondylitis, lumbar muscle strain.
Huai wolfberry pork loin soup
Recipe] 10-15 grams of Chinese yam, 10-15 grams of Chinese wolfberry, 1 pork loin.
Usage】Wash the pork loin, remove the sinew, and Chinese yam, Chinese wolfberry into the stewpot, add water, stewed in water, seasoning and eat.
Efficacy】Nourish Yin and kidney, benefit Qi and nourish blood.
Indications】Age-related arthritis, kidney deficiency and lumbago.
Eucommia Walnut Lean Pork Soup
Recipe】15-30 grams of walnuts, 15-30 grams of eucommia, 120 grams of lean pork.
Usage】Put Eucommia in a gauze bag with cleaned lean pork, walnuts, etc. Place in a casserole, add water, simmer for 2 hours, remove the bag, add seasonings, eat the soup and eat the meat, eat walnuts, can also be eaten with meals.
Efficacy】Benefit the kidney, strengthen the bones, and nourish the deficiency.
Indications】Age-related arthritis, kidney deficiency and back pain.
Douwu Wudu Drink
Recipe】9 grams of Dou Shu, 60 grams of Wu Dou, and the right amount of rice wine.
Usage】Put Doklam and Wu Dou into water, decoct until 500ml, remove the residue and extract the juice, then add rice wine. Take twice daily in warmth.
Efficacy】Eliminating wind and dampness, relieving pain.
Indications】Arthritis of wind-cold dampness, pain in the waist and knees, joint constriction, or stroke.
Papaya Coix Seed Congee
Recipe】10 grams of papaya, 30 grams of coix seeds, and appropriate amount of rice porridge.
Usage】Wash papaya and coix seeds, pour them into a small pot, add cold water, soak for a few moments, then slowly stew over low heat until the coix seeds are crispy, add a spoonful of sugar, add rice porridge and stew slightly, eat in moderation.
Efficacy】Eliminate wind and dampness, soothe tendons and relieve pain.
The main treatment] arthritis, dampness, muscle and joint pain, heavy body, or tendon constriction, joint flexion and extension unfavorable
Coix seed loofah porridge
Recipe】150 grams of Coix seeds, 15 grams of mint, 50 grams of edamame, 100 grams of loofah.
Usage】Peel and wash the loofah and cut into pieces; put mint and tempeh into a pot, add 1500 ml of water, boil and fry for about 10 minutes with a gentle fire, remove the dregs and take the juice. Wash the coix seeds and pour them into the pot with the loofah, inject the juice and cook on the fire until the coix seeds are crispy. Add sugar or salt to taste. And rice porridge can be taken for breakfast and dinner.
Efficacy】Clearing heat and dampness, relieving symptoms and dispelling wind
Indications: Arthritis, dampness and heat obstruction, dampness and constriction, flexion and extension unfavorable.
Mulberry Chicken
Recipe】30 grams of old mulberry branch, 15 grams of mung beans, 250 grams of chicken.
Usage】Wash the chicken, add water, put the cleaned and cut mulberry branches and green beans, stew until the meat is rotten, season with salt and ginger. Drink the soup and eat the chicken.
Efficacy】Clear heat and paralysis, benefit Qi and replenish blood.
Indications: Arthritis, dampness and heat paralysis, redness and swelling of joints, burning pain, distress and thirst, yellow urine, dry stools.
Fenfeng Coix Seed Drink
Recipe: 30 grams of Coix Seed, 10 grams of Fangfeng.
Usage】Wash the coix seeds and decoct them together with the wind, and take about 200 ml of the juice. Take one dose daily for one week, then stop for 3 days.
Effects】Dispersing wind and removing dampness
Indications】Arthritis, rheumatism, paralysis, pain in the joints, unstable movement, fear of cold, body pain, sleepiness and weakness.
Boiled deer feet with cow knee
Recipe】15 grams of cow knee, 1 set of deer feet, and appropriate amount of black bean juice.
Usage】Wash the deer feet and cow knee separately, add black bean sauce and boil together until cooked, mix with green onion and pepper. Serve on an empty stomach.
Effects】Supplements liver and kidney, dispels wind and dampness, relaxes tendons and activates collaterals.
Indications】Arthritis, deficiency of liver and kidney, wind-damp paralysis, contracture of limbs, joint pain, ankle swelling and pain.
Deer horn milk honey
Recipe】6-10 grams of antler gum, 150-250 ml of milk, appropriate amount of honey.
Usage】Boil the milk and melt the antler cavity, add honey and drink before going to bed.
Efficacy] Benefit the liver and kidney, replenish deficiency.
Indications】Age-related arthritis, weakness and deficiency, weak joints.
Panax Ginseng Porridge
Formula】10-15g Panax notoginseng, 15-20g Salvia miltiorrhiza, 30g Gastrodia japonica, appropriate amount of rice porridge.
Usage】Wash Panax ginseng, Salvia miltiorrhiza, and hen’s blood vine, add an appropriate amount of water and decoct to obtain a thick juice, then add an appropriate amount of round-grained rice and boil the porridge, add the juice when the porridge is ready, and cook for a few moments. Take 1 dose per day.
Efficacy】Relaxing blood stasis, promoting blood circulation and relieving pain
Indications】Treating joint pain caused by internal obstruction of blood stasis and unfavorable meridians.
Panax ginseng chicken stew
Recipe】1 male black chicken, 6g Panax ginseng, 10g Astragalus membranaceus, moderate amount of yellow wine.
Usage】Include panax ginseng and astragalus into the chicken belly, add 10ml of yellow wine and stew over low heat until the chicken is cooked. Use soy sauce for dipping, 1 time every other day
Effects】Warming Yang, benefiting Qi, fixing pain
Indications】For the treatment of knee arthritis, evidence of Yang Qi deficiency