OSTEOARTHRITIS – MAKE THE SWITCH TO LOW GI FOODS

Knowing the right foods to eat can help you maintain an ideal weight. This may be the most important thing you can do to prevent osteoarthritis. If you already have osteoarthritis, losing weight may help to improve your symptoms.

Carbohydrates provide our bodies with energy in the form of glucose. The Glycaemic Index (GI) is a classification system for the rate at which carbohydrates cause a rise in blood glucose. The Glycaemic Index is especially useful for two types of people:

• Those with type 2 diabetes, where the control of blood glucose is important
• Those who want to control their weight. Low GI foods can help us feel satisfied for longer and hence likely to eat less.

Foods that cause a quick rise in blood glucose have a high GI. Conversely, foods that cause a slow rise in blood glucose have a low GI.

Here are some examples:

LOW GI FOODS

Wholegrain bread
Pasta
Oats
Apples, apricots and oranges
Yoghurt and milk
Dried beans and lentils

HIGH GI FOODS

White and wholemeal bread
Processed cereals
Short-grain rice
Potato
Cracker biscuits
Watermelon

Studies have shown that people on a low GI diet can achieve a similar level of weight loss to a conventional low-fat diet. A low GI diet is also effective in helping to maintain weight loss, which is beneficial for people with osteoarthritis as excess weight can cause osteoarthritis to progress rapidly.