Misconceptions, fasting, food supplements, physical activity… Dr Philippe Veroli, author of Complete Guide to Osteoarthritisadvocates for an integrative approach to osteoarthritis, a disease that is still poorly understood and far from being an inevitability of aging.
Nutrition: Why did you write this book on osteoarthritis?
Dr Philippe Veroli : There are still a lot of misconceptions about this disease, it is still not very well understood. I wanted to provide the most complete information possible to both sick people and doctors. This is why I wrote this book: to build old, healthy bones!
Is osteoarthritis inevitable as we age and inevitably leads to a spiral of anti-inflammatory drugs, then infiltrations and finally prosthesis?
No of course! Osteoarthritis develops as we age, but it is mainly the accumulation of years of poor lifestyle that causes it, more than age. Even a person who adopts a healthy lifestyle will have radiological signs of osteoarthritis as they age. This is part of the aging of the body, which is inevitable. But this aging can be limited, and it is perfectly possible to never complain of osteoarthritis throughout your life. When you have osteoarthritis, the path you described, namely medications/infiltrations/prosthesis, is not obligatory, provided you have an adequate lifestyle.
What can we expect from medications prescribed for osteoarthritis?
No medication cures osteoarthritis. The medications used for osteoarthritis are intended primarily to relieve pain, and none delay the progression of the disease. On the contrary, anti-inflammatories could accelerate it because they block all stages of inflammation, including that of repair.
These medications also have side effects…
All of these medications are not harmless. Some are not very effective, like paracetamol for example. Anti-inflammatories are very effective in the short term: they provide quick relief. But in the medium and long term, they don’t do any better, in terms of pain relief, than the natural treatments I talk about in the book. And they have many, many side effects, some of which are really dangerous.
Your book offers a global approach to the disease: diet, sedentary lifestyle… You might think that if your joints hurt, you should let them rest. How to reconcile exercise and osteoarthritis?
Movement is the essential treatment for osteoarthritis, because the cartilage is not vascularized: it is mainly thanks to movement that it is nourished. When you have osteoarthritis, movement can hurt, but immobility is worse! Any joint has the possibility of improving its mobility, just as all muscles have the capacity to soften and strengthen, whatever the age. Muscles are important because they protect the joint. You absolutely must not give up on physical activity, on the contrary, but adapt it to your abilities, take it gradually, and seek guidance if you don’t know what movement to do.
You address the issue of fasting. Why is it useful in cases of osteoarthritis?
Diet has a very important role in healthy living. It provides all the nutrients and micronutrients we need, but also many harmful substances (additives, colorings, chemicals present in ultra-processed food, etc.). Eating healthily helps limit these intakes which are harmful to joints and general health. But fasting can speed up the cleansing of the body. It has anti-inflammatory properties: studies have shown that the practice of fasting can quickly improve the pain and inflammatory state of patients. Fasting also promotes the elimination of senescent mitochondria and improves the energy metabolism of cells. It is the most effective natural anti-inflammatory treatment, with fairly rapid results. There are all kinds of fasts: intermittent fasting, water fasting, with varying durations.
Your book presents the food supplements that you recommend in cases of osteoarthritis, but they are not reimbursed by health insurance. Is it because it is ineffective?
That’s a good question! Numerous studies show the effectiveness of several dietary supplements that I list in the book. However, they are not recommended by official authorities. Among the treatments, some are not recommended, particularly because their effect is too slow. Of course, you sometimes have to wait two or even three months before having an effect, but osteoarthritis is a chronic disease: I don’t see why the fact that a natural product takes time to be effective is a problem, given that these products must be taken over time anyway! Of course, we can cite the economic interests of laboratories to promote patentable medicines, compared to natural products which are not. But even in another area – that of medicine – hyaluronic acid infiltrations were defunded a little over ten years ago. It is difficult to understand why and rheumatologists are upset by this delisting. Result: there is an increase in the installation of prostheses…
How to choose the right food supplements, because there are so many of them?
Certain products should be taken as a priority, I detail them in my book. If in doubt, it is always useful to contact an osteoarthritis specialist, who can advise based on the pathologies and the progress of the disease. Certain supplements are essential and must be taken in all cases. There are many useful natural products, it’s not a question of taking them all! Some walk more for some, others for others. We are truly spoiled for choice.
There are several types of food supplements, some are more for basic treatment, others for pain.
If you have little pain but are diagnosed with osteoarthritis, it is in your best interest to take structural treatments, which help build cartilage. Destroyed cartilage does not regenerate, but it is possible to promote the survival and renewal of existing cartilage. If we start early, we can have a regression of symptoms, or even regeneration of cartilage at the beginning stage, whereas the official discourse says that osteoarthritis is irreversible. It all depends on the stage: at the very beginning, a reversion is possible, but at a more advanced stage, we can only slow down the evolution.
By following the advice on lifestyle, physical activity, diet and food supplements, we really see an improvement, for sure!
