Is Osteoarthritis Linked to Poor Gut Health? Here's the Latest Research

Osteoarthritis is one of the oldest known diseases and a leading cause of disability. Scientists have even uncovered evidence that osteoarthritis has been around since the time of the Neanderthals (1). And today, this painful condition impacts more than 32.5 million adults in the US alone (2, 3).

In this article, you’ll learn what osteoarthritis is, how it’s different from osteoporosis, how it relates to gut health, and more.

Osteoarthritis (also called OA, degenerative arthritis, or degenerative joint disease), is the most common chronic joint condition that exists. It occurs when the cartilage (the strong, flexible connective tissue that cushions the ends of bones) begins to deteriorate (4).

This wearing down of connective tissues results in dull, achy, bone-on-bone pain in the hands, fingers, hips, knees, shoulders, neck, and lower back.

Some typical osteoarthritis symptoms include the following:

• Joint pain
• Stiffness
• Inflammation
• Tenderness on the inflicted joint
• Loss of flexibility
• An increase in pain over time as the condition worsens

Risk factors for osteoarthritis include older age or post-menopause, being female, injured joints, repetitive joint stress through sports or a job, genetics, or carrying extra weight.

Have you ever heard of the gut-brain connection? Well, now there’s something called the gut-joint connection.

While there are many potential causes and risk factors for osteoarthritis, recent research indicates that your gut microbiome (i.e. all of the tiny bacteria that make up your gut) may play a major role in osteoarthritis pain (5).

Obesity has been linked to osteoarthritis pain for decades. Doctors and scientists alike assumed it was the excess weight that put additional stress on the joints. However, the new research we’re seeing suggests otherwise: That the connection between obesity and osteoarthritis may have everything to do with your gut health—not the excess weight—instead.

Here’s how the scientific study unfolded…

Mice were fed a high-fat diet similar to that of a human fast food-based diet and became obese and diabetic in just a few weeks. In that process, their gut bacteria totally changed. Several inflammatory bacteria were found in the newly obese mice’s colons, and in turn, inflammatory symptoms showed up throughout their bodies (6).

These obese mice (with unhealthy gut bacteria) went on to have osteoarthritis symptoms that progressed much faster than the mice who maintained a healthier weight. Maybe that’s not so surprising, but the striking part is that when the obese mice were regularly fed a prebiotic (types of plant fibers that help promote healthy gut bacteria), their inflammation and joint symptoms went away—even when they remained overweight. Just by taking a prebiotic, their joint health was right on par with the thinner mice.

In this research, the common denominator for joint pain wasn’t about weight at all. Instead, it was inflammation caused by poor gut health. Could the same be true for humans?

More research is needed to uncover more links between osteoarthritis and gut health. But one thing we’re certain of is that it’s well worth the effort to maintain a healthy gut!

If you want to improve your gut health and your osteoarthritis symptoms at the same time, start supplementing with collagen peptides and a probiotic daily.

Research has started to connect the dots between collagen and gut health, with early research indicating that it could specifically help people with osteoarthritis (7, 8). The main way collagen peptides alleviate osteoarthritis is by “healing and sealing the gut”, which creates a protective barrier for healthy gut bacteria to thrive (9, 10). Collagen also has anti-inflammatory effects thanks to its abundant levels of glycine, an amino acid that has a pain-relieving effect on joints (10, 11).

By supplementing with collagen peptides, you’re doing three things…

1. Addressing both poor gut health and the inflammation that’s linked to your osteoarthritis.
2. Decreasing your risk of autoimmune diseases like IBS, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease (12).
3. Safeguarding your gut against leaky gut syndrome and the negative effects of processed foods, lack of sleep, and other external stressors (13).

Then there’s the need for a probiotic and prebiotic supplement. As you know from the animal study above, when the obese mice were regularly fed a prebiotic (types of plant fibers that help promote healthy gut bacteria), their inflammation and joint symptoms went away—even when they remained overweight. That means that just by taking a prebiotic, their joint health was right on par with the healthy mice!

This is exactly why NativePath Probiotic includes a prebiotic formula in its unique 10-strain blend: To support healthy digestive balance, replenish intestinal microflora, promote regularity, and now, to alleviate symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Gut-joint connection is important. From what current research is showing, we can see that a healthy gut may be the missing link to preventing worsening osteoarthritis symptoms. By taking gut-health supplements like collagen powder and a probiotic/prebiotic capsule, you’re able to give your body what it needs to alleviate osteoarthritic symptoms.