By Lucy Corkhill
14th September 2013
Scientists have been compiling the research for the last four years at the University of East Anglia, funded by medical research charity Arthritis Research UK, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s Diet and Health Research Industry Club and The Dunhill Medical Trust.
The scientists isolated the compound sulforaphane, most commonly found in broccoli but also in cabbage and sprouts, and found it had a significant effect on the progression of the disease osteoarthritis. It seems strange that until now, research has failed to show that diet can play a part in reducing the progression of osteoarthritis, as we all know that eating a healthy, well-balanced diet can have a huge impact on our overall wellbeing. As Alan Silman, Arthritis Research UK’s medical director, says: “We know that exercise and keeping to a healthy weight can improve people’s symptoms and reduce the chances of the disease progressing, but this adds another layer in our understanding of how diet could play its part.”
One of the most common factors in osteoarthritis is obesity, alongside ageing. So it makes sense that a diet rich in vegetables will have other knock-on effects for sufferers. Sulforaphane is also known for its anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects, and researchers suggest that regularly eating broccoli could actually prevent the onset of arthritis. Individuals such as Dr Max Gerson, founder of the Gerson Institute and Gerson Therapy, which uses the power of diet to heal a wide range of illness and disease, from cancer to diabetes, have long been extolling the incredible healing potential of fruit and vegetables. As usual, the scientific community has dragged its feet on committing to the healing potential of diet. Many would argue that this has to do with the huge drug multinationals: giving people the power to heal and change their own lives simply doesn’t make money.
And although many animals were no doubt sacrificed in the gathering of this research (the scientists used cartilage tissue, cells and mice), it is a beacon of hope that scientists are finally coming round to the power of food to heal. Although advocates of a more holistic, conscious and gentle approach to healing will be well aware of the fact eating greens is a way to supercharge the body, each step in the right direction from the scientific community means we’re walking towards a brighter, more empowered future for everyone.
