Too Much Protein Also Harms Bones and Cataridge
By Winston Lee L.Ac., Ph.D., KMD
Arthritis is one of the most common conditions, almost as common as back pain, and one of the leading causes of rapidly deteriorating quality of life. Pain in the wrists, elbows, hips, knees, and ankles can severely limit outdoor activities. It makes it hard to travel and even visit family and friends. It is hard to shake the depressing feeling that I am no longer young but old.
But when I see patients with arthritis, more than half of their symptoms are due to overexertion or overwork. Some patients injure their knees at work because they’re always lifting and moving things, or they’re on their feet all day at a restaurant making sushi. There are also quite a few cases where excessive running or golfing wears down the cartilage in the knee, leading to a meniscus injury. However, about 40% of people suffer from arthritis because the degenerative changes are accelerated than in other people without overuse or injury.
There are many possible causes, but the patients’ daily diet should not be overlooked. All joints have something called ‘cartilage,’ which is something that is constantly being made and lost throughout the day. Certain foods can affect this process.
The first thing to ask the patient is coffee. When caffeine is absorbed, it always consumes a lot of calcium and causes weak bones and joints. White sugar, chocolate, and ice cream will have a negative impact on the bones and joints. Protein in high concentrations can also weaken bones, ligaments, and joints because ammonia takes minerals with it when it’s excreted.
It is also important to drink plenty of water, between 6 and 8 cups a day, in addition to meals, because dryness can cause more joint pain. Eating lots of cold-water fatty fish is also very important. Fish such as mackerel, herring, salmon, and sardines contain omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, which are great for reducing inflammation throughout the body, and they also strengthen blood vessels, which can help prevent conditions such as myocardial infarction or heart attack. Red wine can also help with arthritis, as it has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antioxidant properties.
Contrary to popular belief, arthritis does not only affect people over the age of 70. Poor diet, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption can cause degenerative changes in people in their 20s and 30s. Modern medicine has yet to develop artificial cartilage that is better than the cartilage in their knees, so if anybody wants to live to be one hundred years old, they should take care of their precious joints while they are young.
