Gut Health Supplement Relieves Arthritis Pain, Finds New Study
By Health Correspondent
A simple fibre supplement taken each day could help ease the pain of knee arthritis, scientists say.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham found that people with knee osteoarthritis who took the prebiotic fibre inulin reported less pain and improved strength after just six weeks.
The study, published in Nutrients, also found participants taking the supplement were far more likely to stick with the treatment than those following a digital physiotherapy exercise programme.
Knee osteoarthritis affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and is a leading cause of chronic pain, particularly in older adults.
Dr Afroditi Kouraki, who led the study, said the findings point to a surprisingly simple solution.
“Our findings suggest that targeting gut health with a prebiotic supplement is a safe and effective way to reduce pain in people with knee osteoarthritis,” she said.
Inulin works by feeding “good” bacteria in the gut. When these bacteria break down fibre, they produce compounds that can help reduce inflammation and influence how the body processes pain.
In the trial involving 117 adults, both the fibre supplement and physiotherapy reduced knee pain. But only the inulin group showed improvements in grip strength and reduced pain sensitivity.
Researchers also found the supplement was much easier for people to keep taking – with a dropout rate of just 3.6%, compared with 21% for the exercise programme.
Senior researcher Professor Ana Valdes said the results could open the door to new treatments.
“The link we observed between gut health and muscle strength is particularly intriguing and could help us better understand how diet affects pain and ageing,” she said.
Experts say further research will now explore whether improving gut health could become a new way to help manage arthritis symptoms.
