Strengthen Cartilage and Ligaments the Natural Way
It’s not just athletes and older adults who should do what they can to strengthen cartilage and ligaments, although it’s true that those are the two groups of people who suffer most in that area. But as they say, prevention is always better than a cure. And, that goes for everyone.
That’s why today we’re going to share some natural home remedies and recommendations to make sure you know how to strengthen cartilage and ligaments naturally.
Cartilage And Ligaments Facts
But before we dive right in with the remedies themselves, it’s important to find out a bit about these tissues. Let’s get into why they’re so essential to your body’s normal functioning.
Cartilage is an elastic connective tissue that lines the joints and allows them to move freely and smoothly. There are three types: hyaline (the most abundant in the body), fibrous (which is located where ligaments and tendons meet) and elastic, which is only found in the larynx, the ear and the epiglottis.
For their part, the ligaments are solid bands of fibrous connective tissue that have an elastic structure and join the bones together at joints. They allow bones to move at joints, but avoid them becoming displaced, resulting in painful dislocations. Ligaments are classified according to two groups: those that pass from one bone to the other without losing contact with the bone structure, and those that jump from one bone to another.
How to Detect Damage to Cartilage and Ligaments
As we said earlier, it’s not just elite athletes who should be paying close attention to how they can strengthen cartilage and ligaments. Making sure they’re healthy now can help us avoid painful injuries or complications later on. The most at-risk area is usually the knees, because they are tasked with supporting all our body weight. However, the shoulders, wrists and heels can also suffer.
Cartilage and ligaments can both be affected by a number of different risk factors, including:
The effects of aging
Degenerative diseases (like arthritis, for example)
Obesity or being overweight
Excessive physical exercise
Injuries
Repetitive movements
Carrying heavy objects
The main red flags that can mean you have damaged cartilage or ligaments are: pain when trying to move the joint, muscle tension and swelling. So, you’ll want to strengthen cartilage and ligaments as a method to prevent pain.
Strengthen Cartilage and Ligaments the Natural Way
The following remedies, recipes and foods can help to strengthen cartilage and ligaments. Additionally, they can boost recovery in case you do end up injuring them.
- Yogurt
This dairy derivative produced by the bacterial fermentation of milk (more precisely, of the lactose in lactic acid) can be a great asset if you’re having problems with your cartilage or ligaments. Its origin is located in the Balkan Peninsula, although both the Turks and the Greeks are still hotly debating where exactly it was invented.
It’s a staple food in many cuisines around the world, and contains beneficial bacteria for our body, not to mention providing a great source of the calcium that’s so essential for improving bone health.
- Gelatin
Quite often, working out what ailment a remedy can be useful for is as simple as checking out its appearance. For example, if we’re looking to strengthen our cartilage and ligaments, it’s a great idea to include viscous foods in our diet, one of which is gelatin.
That’s because gelatin is very rich in collagen, which is responsible for repairing tissues, bones, tendons, and so on. It provides ten essential amino acids – but, magically, it does this without adding any fat or cholesterol to our bodies. It can also be combined with fruits and can come in several different flavors, although it’s of course always better to pick one that does not include artificial colors. The following is an idea for a recipe using gelatin that’s rich, fresh and natural.
Ingredients
1 banana
1 orange
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin (20 grams)
2 tablespoons of water (20 grams)
2 tablespoons of honey (40 grams)
How to Prepare
Squeeze the orange juice and mash the banana.
Mix the mashed banana with honey and set aside.
Dissolve the gelatin in water and heat in a bain-marie.
Pour in the orange juice, and mix it all together well.
Place everything into a mold and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
When you come to serve it, place the mashed banana and honey on a plate, and put the jelly cube on top along with a piece of orange.
- Soy
By now, soy is sold all over the world, and has any number of uses. Its seeds carry concentrated amounts of protein, and are especially good because they can be consumed in a range of different forms: milk, flour, tofu and fermented products. To take advantage of the full benefits of soy, we recommend you seek out products that are 100% organic.
- Nettle
The following home remedy serves to strengthen cartilage and ligaments, thanks to the magnesium, potassium, silicon and chlorophyll it delivers. All these nutrients combine to boost the health of your tissues.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons of nettle leaves (80 grams)
4 cups of water (1 liter)
1 teaspoon of lemon juice (10 grams)
2 tablespoons of honey (40 grams)
How to Prepare
First, heat the water and, once it’s boiling, add the nettle.
Allow to boil for 15 minutes, and then remove from the heat.
After 15 minutes filter and pour into a glass bottle.
Then, place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Before drinking, add the lemon juice and honey.
Mix well and drink cold – you can add ice cubes if you wish.
- Citrus
Foods that contain high levels of Vitamin C should be a mainstay of your diet, not least because they stimulate the production of collagen (a very important element in maintaining healthy ligaments and cartilage). Eat or drink lemon, orange, kiwi and strawberries regularly to take advantage of all the various benefits of Vitamin C.
- Turmeric and Cinnamon
Both of these delicious spices, which have such a characteristic flavor and aroma, have anti-inflammatory properties that will serve you well if you have any swelling in the joints, tendons, ligaments or cartilage. We highly recommend adding a pinch of any of the two to your meals, infusions and desserts. Not only will they provide a delicious taste, but they will also improve your health.
content source; steptohealth
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