What you eat matters to your joints, cartilage, tendons and ligaments in several powerful ways:

1. Your Weight:  70%+ of Americans are overweight or obese and the extra weight we carry on our joints wears down the cartilage cushion on the ends of our bones.  Just like tile in the back of a truck prematurely wears down the truck tires, extra weight wears down your hips, knees and ankles.  In fact if you are in the obese BMI category you increase your risk of a hip or knee replacement by up to 500%.  The food we eat is the most powerful predictor of the weight we carry.  Studies show that increasing the consumption of simple, whole plants reduces total calories and total calorie density of the food we eat, leading in turn to weight loss.  If you need help losing weight then consider my 4 week detox at www.esserhealth.com/detox.  On average women lose 15-25lbs per month and men lose 20-40lbs per month.  You can do it and I can help!  Now extra weight is not the only thing related to food, Inflammation is too.
   
   
2. Inflammation occurs in our bodies in response to cellular activity, daily use, injury and illness.  Inflammation is a natural part of human existence but prolonged inflammation or excessive quantities of inflammation can lead to early disease and debility.  Chronic inflammation damages joint cartilage and leads to progressive osteoarthritis.  Chronic inflammation also leads to long term tendon and ligament abnormalities which in turn can lead to chronic pain and tearing.  A major source of inflammatory molecules in the body is excess visceral or belly fat.  Your adipocytes( fat cells) release molecules called adipokines which turn on the fires of inflammation and this leads to joint and tissue damage.  The good news is that as soon as you lose weight you turn off some of the factories of inflammation production.  Food can also powerfully alter inflammation thru the arachidonic acid and prostaglandin pathways as well as via basic cellular inflammatory pathways.  A well balanced diet with maximum quantities of anthocyanidins and other flavenoids can radically reduce chronic inflammation and slow the degenerative processes in the body.  Food groups that help reduce inflammation include fresh greens, berries, fruits, garlic, onions, spices and the like.  In addition to reducing inflammation many of these foods also improve blood flow to your tissues.
    
3. Blood Flow is essential for every joint, tendon, ligament and cartilage cell.  Excellent circulation carries nutrients and oxygen to your cells and carries away carbon dioxide, lactic acid and other inflammatory molecules.  The leading cause of death in America today is heart disease and heart disease is directly linked to your diet.  The more fat, sugar, salt and oil you eat and the fewer veggies, fruits and whole grains you eat, the higher your risk of atherosclerosis which is hardening of your arteries.  Studies completed at Johns Hopkins College of Medicine showed that a single high fat, high cholesterol meal decreased blood vessel function by up to 50% for 4 hrs.  When you string together years of unhealthy food, it leads to hard, calcified blood vessels, increased blood pressure and blood cholesterol and in turn this leads to higher rates of tendon tears and joint osteoarthritis.  If you want healthy joints and tendons then you need excellent blood flow to these structures.  The good news is that the more simple, whole, colorful plant based foods  you consume, the lower your risk of heart disease and the more blood flow you get to every cell in your body.  A cup of berries, a big spinach salad, a plate of fruit.  All of these dilate your blood vessels.