Following my accident 8 years ago I had pain in my left knee. The surgeons could not see any damage in scans. Over the years it improved slightly, but I would usually have to be careful when cycling to warm up gently before pushing harder on my pedals - otherwise it would grow worse. Over the last year or two my right knee become increasingly uncomfortable too. At their best I would be able to climb two steps at a time without much discomfort. At their worst I would need to avoid climbing steps. What to do?
There is arthritis in my family so it could be an early sign of that. Having attended a Peas vs Pills lecture by Dr. Nandita Shah, I was determined to find a dietary solution. It appears I found it without much ado.
This is what I ate
- Turmeric - 3g on average organic raw grated into soups etc
- Linseed - about 20g ground - added raw to muesli or soup
- Seed sprinkle - about 20g sunflower, pumpkin, sesame seeds etc ete whole or ground with linseed and added to muesli.
- biscuits
- crisps
That's it. After the first day of eating the turmeric my knees improved slightly and over the last month they improved so much that and now I usually can't feel them at all. Gone.
The discomfort was in between the joints, yet kneeling on the bed was uncomfortable. Not any more. It is like I have knew knees
The turmeric I skip some days when I feel I have had enough of it. It is an anti-inflammatory and apparently very healthy. It does not taste of much raw but it is a bit like a medicine and nice to have a few days break from it once in while. The seeds, which are high in omega 3, I have everyday and although the linseed turns everything a little gloopy, it is quite pleasant. When I remember, I also add nutritional yeast flakes with B12, which probably helps too. I eat dried nuts and fruit as an afternoon snack instead of biscuits. It is all very little hassle as it now part of my food.
Well worth it. I'd be pleased to know if it works for you.
Edit:
It was brought to my attention that eating turmeric with black pepper greatly improves its absorption. I have since found that my knee joint pain starts to return after about a week. The most benefit of turmeric is experienced a few hours after eating. Because it does not wear off in a day, eating more the next day means the level of comfort further increases. I.e. eating it daily means the benefits continue to improve for about a week.
On a recent cycling trip where I didn't eat any turmeric for a week the discomfort and stiffness returned in my knuckles but was mostly kept at bay in my knees. Directly after an occasional long cycle rides my knees might feel more uncomfortable, but this is not really noticeable when cycling daily.
