The optimistic answer to this is, possibly. While we still don’t know exactly what causes ageing, we know that boosting stem cell production, those primitive cells that can rebuild our bodies, can be amplified by eating less or fasting intermittently, with resveratrol, an antioxidant sourced from the skin of red grapes and quercetin, a vitamin like substance, found in strawberries, grapes, tomatoes, red wine, onions and apples.
We also know that telomeres, structures that live at the edge of chromosomes, help our genes to continue functioning and our cells to replicate. With ageing our telomeres become shorter and dysfunctional which makes it more difficult to continue manufacturing new cells and ultimately this process grinds to a halt. Vitamin B12, vitamin C and a formulation known as TA-65, that contains the herb astragalus and other natural ingredients, have all been espoused as telomere preservers.
Aside from the supplement glucosamine, at a dose of 1500mg and chondroitin sulphate, the Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and extra virgin olive oil, weight loss, optimising cholesterol status, reducing omega-6 fatty acids found in vegetable oils, consuming more omega-3 fatty acids from fish like sardines and salmon, maximising magnesium status and ensuring a healthy gut microbiome or balance of beneficial bacteria like lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, can all have positive impacts on the evolution of osteoarthritis.
