Authored by Jayant Row in Nutrition
Published on 05-01-2009

The knee is the largest joint in the body and is made up of a number of parts. All of these parts can get injured when you indulge in sports or other strenuous activities. The knee connects the lower end of the thigh bone to the upper end of the shin bone or tibia. There are a number of ligaments around this joint that give it strength and the ability to flex.

Knee pain is quite often associated with excess weight and obesity. So the first thing that you need to do to benefit your knees is to get rid of that excess weight. Eat less, drink more water and cut out all the fried foods, snacks and sugar. Move away from the drinks cabinet and stop visiting the refrigerator for that can of pop or cola. Cutting down your weight is a sure way to help the knees and it is almost a constant recommendation from every health specialist who is consulted for problems in the knees. So the nutrition that is good for your knees is actually the one that will help to reduce your weight and keep it well below the BMI required for your height and age.

So now that you have decided to go on that diet to lose weight, we can now suggest a few additions to your diet that can help your knees. See if you can add ginger, raw vinegar and honey to your diet as these ingredients do have the properties that can help with the knees. What you need to increase in your diet is the portions of fruits and vegetables that you eat every day. 5 or 7 servings of these can definitely help those knees. These contain a lot of phytonutrients and antioxidants that can help the body to fight the sick cells that can cause knee pain. Switch over to fruit juices if you find that eating them is a chore. Replace all your soda and pop cans with natural fruit juices and also in place of that daily drink.

Vitamins C, D, E and B and minerals like calcium, zinc, chondrotin and omega 3 are a must in the diet that is good for your knees. All these can be gotten from a correct diet. Vitamin C is in most lemony fruits, blue berries and strawberries, and in spinach, cantaloupe and broccoli. Vitamin D is in milk, fish oils, egg yolks and other dairy products. Vitamin E is plentiful in green vegetables and nuts. While you do eat all this good stuff, you also need to keep away from poultry and red meat as the fats in them can cause joint inflammation. Cold water fish can be part of your diet as the food actually reduces inflammation in the knees.

In addition to the diet you need to ensure that your knees have constant exercise as this enables the joints to remain flexible. Walking, running and even yoga or tai chi are recommended as good exercises for the knees.