4 Reasons You’re at Risk of Arthritis

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If you think arthritis is a disorder reserved for the elderly, think again.  Different forms of arthritis impact people of all ages.  It is critical that you take preventative measures to protect yourself from this painful disorder.

The CDC has summarized lifetime risks for arthritis from multiple studies.  I urge you to consider this data:

-Nearly 1 in 2 people may develop symptomatic knee osteoarthritis by age 85
-1 out of 4 people may develop hip arthritis in their lifetime.
-About 1 out of 5 adults report having diagnosed arthritis
-About 50% of adults over 65 reported an arthritis diagnosis.
-It’s estimated by the year 2030 that 67 million American’s over the age of 18 will have an arthritis diagnosis.

As you can see, the chances of acquiring arthritis in your lifetime are very real.  Let’s take a look at some lifestyle changes that can prevent this.

Risky Choices That Increase Your Chance of Developing Arthritis:

1) Don’t Smoke.
Smoking causes systematic inflammation and oxidative stress.  Even the manufacturers warn you of the dangers of smoking.  It’s really unnecessary to expand on this any further.  Smoking is bad.  It destroys your body.  Don’t do it.

2) Drinking Soda
The phosphoric acid content in soda may leach calcium from your bones resulting in higher osteoarthritis risks.  I liken chronic soda drinkers to smokers.  Both are devastating to your body.

3) Unbalanced Omega 6 to Omega 3 Ratio
Omega 6 & 3 are important essential fatty acids that serve various functions in your body.  Our ancestors consumed a ratio of about 1:1.  The current American diet has an average ratio as high as 25:1!
Too much inflammatory omega 6 has been linked to system-wide inflammation.  This is a major factor in many of today’s disorders including arthritis. Avoid omega 6 rich oils including corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and soybean oil.  Be cautious not to overeat nuts and seeds.  Grass-fed animal products have a better ratio.  Furthermore, consuming salmon can help increase your omega 3 to balance it out.

4) Excess Carbohydrate Consumption
Too many carbs can cause a spike in blood sugar which can trigger an inflammatory response in the body.  Replace your carbs with healthy fats like coconut oil and grass-fed butter.

 

Arthritis has been portrayed as inevitable once you reach your golden years.  This is nonsense and, in fact, joint-related issues were not as prevalent prior to the Neolithic revolution.  Only recently has this devastating disorder become so ubiquitous.

The choices you make today will set the foundation for your health and will impact you as you age.  I plan for my elderly years to involve a sunny beach, not a nursing home.

 

Sources:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12442909

http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics/arthritis_related_stats.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25030783


Jake Toughill is an independent writer who covers topics on health, nutrition, environmental issues and more. His personal website can be found at www.live-a-better-life.com


 

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Jake Toughill
Jake Toughill is an independent writer whom covers topics on health, nutrition, environmental issues and more. His personal website can be found at www.live-a-better-life.com