Onions & garlic also help stop arthritis....

Today's Post:  Thursday, 3-20-2014

We just posted that eating onions and garlic help prevent heart disease.  And, we posted earlier that niacin caused your immune system to lower inflammation.

What I didn’t post it seems is that eating onions and garlic when you have enough probiotics and fiber causes that same immune system message to lower inflammation.

This appears to be a big part of how a high fiber diet helps prevent colon cancer.

Also, I’ve posted on the discovery that not only does inflammation make osteoarthritis hurt more, chronic inflammation that’s too high causes osteoarthritis to begin with.

At that time, I posted about how stopping grains and oils like corn and soy oil made from grains that are too high in omega 6 oils, using olive oil instead -- & combined with getting more omega 3 oils from supplements and wild caught fish lowered inflammation.

Now a new study that was in the Real Age email recently has evidence that the inflammation reduction from onions and garlic is substantial enough that it prevents the development of cartilage damage and osteoarthritis of the hips!

“About 15 percent of older adults regularly deal with hip pain. But in a recent study of women, those who tended to eat lots of produce -- particularly herbs from the allium family, such as onions and garlic -- showed fewer signs of hip osteoarthritis in x-ray tests.

Arthritis-Fighting Allium

The study analyzed the diets of a large group of middle-aged adult twins, most of whom did not have symptoms of arthritis when the study started. Eating lots of allium herbs correlated with less arthritis in the hip. And in a separate lab analysis, researchers also found that diallyl disulphide -- a substance found in the allium family -- appeared to help inhibit enzymes that can cause damage to joint-protective cartilage.

Culinary Cartilage Protection

Garlic and onions are probably the widest known allium produce. But there are also leeks, shallots, scallions, and chives to consider. Each adds its own unique flavor to savory dishes. Try topping baked potatoes with chives, slip some roasted garlic on top of that pizza, put some onions on your sandwiches, and give vegetable dishes extra herb flare with roasted leeks and shallots.”

The sulfur compound MSM is sold as a joint protective supplement but the evidence is mixed and MSM stresses the liver if you take it.

It seems that the sulfur IS protective both against osteoarthritis and heart disease as we have posted about H2S release.

But you get better results for more things if you get your sulfur from the “alliums” instead -- these studies suggest.

What if you do the triple of:  

getting more omega 3 and MUCH less omega 6 oil;

eating more garlic and onions and other alliums and taking deodorized garlic;

and, eating or taking the herbal anti-inflammatory foods ginger and turmeric?

1.  It looks as if you may avoid osteoarthritis and possibly heart disease and more!

If you have osteoarthritis now, it may get better or at least stop getting worse. 

2.  And, you will have less pain AND no need or far less need to take the over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs.

That’s very important because all of the over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs have side effects, some of them serious or life threatening.  And, taking them often over a long period of time apparently helps CAUSE osteoarthritis or make it worse!