How to fight inflammation

Collagen, glycosaminoglycans and good old fashion soup stocks

Do you suffer from particularly bad arthritis? Achy joints can be bad enough without the addition of inflammation and infection, yet how is it possible to prevent arthritis or even cure it? When the cartilage between our bones deteriorates we are left with awfully painful aches at our joints as bone grinds against bone. What our body needs is collagen to rebuild that much needed cartilage between our bones.

It has been the case for the last two or three decades that convenience has leapt above health in our list of priorities and more often than not the human race’s progression at making things more convenient for us leads to deterioration of our health. I bring this up because I want to ask, how convenient is a boneless piece of meat? Very convenient yet is also responsible for us missing out on something important, something that can stop us from developing arthritis in the future.

Pretty much everybody knows that you can make a very useful stock with the left over bones and scraps after you and your family/friends have finished off what they could when you plumped a whole chicken in front of them. As well as being useful though a chicken, beef or fish stock can provide great health benefits. It supplies a great deal of gelatine and collagen which are a rich source of glycosaminoglycans, something that helps repair the cartilage in your body. The collagen is also a hydrophilic colloid which attracts water to the joints which acts as a cushion, quashing any complaints you may have had or preventing them completely.

So to prevent any arthritic inflammation make sure you enjoy plenty of beef and chicken stock, in soups or other recipes you may have. Remember, homemade is better, and most of the time cheaper than those shop-bought tubs.