Nature's medicine

Oil your joints

As spring arrives and you start to shake off the winter cobwebs by going for a few brisk walks or even a light jog, the sudden change in pace can lead to stiff and inflamed joints. While gently building up a new exercise regime will help prevent this, research shows that taking a supplement of the essential fatty acid omega-3 regularly can work, too. A 1998 study at Cardiff University found that omega-3 helped to reduce inflammation in arthritis sufferers and even prevented further deterioration of joints. A good way to boost levels of omega-3 is to eat oily fish such as sardines, mackerel and salmon twice a week. And a study at the Pierre & Marie Curie University in Paris found that osteoarthritis sufferers who were given 800mg of the herbal supplement Devil's Claw three times a day for three weeks noticed a significant reduction in the severity of their pain.