Dr Michael Mosley recommends foods that could ease arthritis symptoms

From kimchi to tempeh, fermented foods offer more than a kick of tart flavour for your dishes.

Seeing a huge boom in popularity in the last decade, gut-friendly foods have cemented themselves as a part of a healthy diet.

Apart from boosting your gut microbiome and immunity, the foods can also help ease painful arthritis symptoms, according to Dr Michael Mosley.

Speaking on his podcast Stay Young, the doctor said: “Topping up your gut microbiome with friendly microbes may also help relieve aches and pains.”

The doctor’s claim is even based on research of more than 500 patients with osteoarthritis.

In case you aren’t aware, osteoarthritis, which is marked by painful and stiff joints, is considered the most common type of arthritis in the UK, the NHS explains.

The randomised controlled trial saw participants with this inflammatory condition drinking two daily servings of milk enriched with lactobacillus bacteria.

After six months of this dietary regimen, the subjects reported less pain and stiffness in their knees.

Furthermore, blood tests showed reduced signs of inflammation, which is a key driver behind arthritis.

Dr Mosley said: “That’s important because one of the main reasons why fermented foods are said to have such widespread beneficial effects is because of the impact on our immune system, damping it down when overreacting.

“An overactive immune system can lead to chronic inflammation, which in turn can cause many of the diseases we associate with ageing, such as joint pain.”

While fermented foods can offer some “impressive” health benefits, the doctor recommended starting slowly.

Professor Justin Sonnenburg from Stanford University, who appeared on the podcast’s episode, explained that yoghurt with live bacteria or kombucha are good ways to start.

If this works for you, the aim is then to increase your intake further. The professor added: “My guess is if you had two servings of fermented foods per day, there would probably be significant benefit from them.”