The short answer is YES ! Research has discovered that the state of your gut wall and the balance of your resident gut bacterial colonies have a significant impact on the state of health of your joints. Different forms of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, have a link to suboptimal digestive health. The mechanisms involved in the gut causing inflammation in remote parts of the body such as the joints are complex and not fully understood but “leaky gut” is known to be involved.

Leaky gut

Leaky gut is a gut wall that is more permeable than it should be to material in the gut such as bacteria and partially digested food. The immune system sees this material as “non-self” and mounts an attack against it.

Inflammation

Inflammation is the immune system attacking these foreign materials as they pass around the body in the blood stream. Joint inflammation, leading to sore joints,  is partly caused by this mechanism.

Probiotics

To assist with this gut derived joint inflammation, there is evidence that probiotic supplementation is beneficial. Speak to a naturopath or nutritionist about the most suitable probiotic for your needs.

Testing for leaky gut

Although not widely known, there is a simple non-invasive pathology test for leaky gut. If you find that you do have leaky gut, a safe gentle gut healing protocol can be implemented to improve the integrity of the gut tissue. This in turn will reduce inflammatory processes originating in the gut. Please speak to Peter Radi about this leaky gut test and a gut healing protocol suitable for you

Peter Radi – Naturopath and Nutritionist

Peter Radi is a naturopath, nutritionist and herbalist and has been in clinical practice since 2000. He is available for private consultations at the Mr Vitamins Clinic where he can provide you with more information to help you with your Diet (eating plan) as well as personalised health improvement programs. Learn more about Peter here   

References:

www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/arthritis-diet/healthy-eating/guide-to-probiotics.php www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4003137/