Possible help for middle-aged knees: Antioxidants

Attention weekend warriors and everyone else with concerns that years of sports abuse will end up leading to arthritis of the knee. Researchers at the Monash University in Melbourne, Australia have found that middle-aged adults with higher dietary levels of vitamin C were less likely to develop certain bone abnormalities that contribute to knee arthritis. The findings were reported in Reuters Health:

...the higher a person's dietary levels of vitamin C at the start of the study, the lower the risk of certain bone changes 10 years on. The same was true when the researchers looked at overall consumption of fruit, a prime source of vitamin C.

Certain carotenoids, such as the lutein and zeaxanthin found in green vegetables, were also related to a lower risk of cartilage defects in the knee.

Antioxidants protect cells throughout the body from accumulating oxidative damage, which has been shown to play a role in osteoarthritis. Some research has shown the vitamin C boosts bone density, which may explain the benefits seen in this study, the researchers note.

The best way to get antioxidants is to have a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.