Besides the face, what other parts of your body are you afraid of getting old?

Author: Cui Yihui, registered dietitian, master of medicine

Reviewer: Zhu Wenli, Professor and Master Supervisor, Peking University Health Science Center

It is not easy to live a lifetime! When we are young, we look forward to growing up, and when we grow up, we have to prevent "aging". When it comes to anti-aging, people often think of their face projects - face, hair, and more ambitious people will pay attention to whether their "heart" and "brain" are old. Little do people know that there are some parts of the human body that are also afraid of "aging", and once they "age", it will affect the quality of life of the whole body. At that time, even if you have a childlike face, a childlike heart, and a wise brain, you will complain bitterly. This is the topic of this article - aging of joints, which is medically called degenerative osteoarthritis.

Don’t think that this is a topic that only “old cadres” in their seventies and eighties are interested in. The aging of joints, like the first fine lines and spots on our faces, can also “come” without anyone noticing. Perhaps when you think you are still young, or perhaps from a few clicks of the joints, our joints begin to decline from their peak state. No matter how much you don’t want to be associated with “aging”, you must bravely face the topic of “joint aging” when you are young.

●Understand the causes of joint "aging"

Let’s first look at the normal joint structure, taking the knee joint, which is most prone to problems, as an example.

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Focus on "cartilage": the articular cartilage that covers the friction surface of the bones is actually what people usually call brittle bones. It has a certain thickness, strength and elasticity when it is normal. With the lubrication of synovial fluid, it can ensure the normal and smooth sliding of the joints. Water accounts for 65% to 80% of the composition of articular cartilage.

Let’s look at the abnormal joint structure.

Figure 2 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

The key point is still "cartilage". With the increase of age, the articular cartilage will inevitably wear out, the cartilage tissue will become hard and thinner, and the joint cavity will narrow, the secretion of synovial fluid will decrease, and eventually the friction surfaces of the upper and lower bone ends will directly contact without any barriers. The nerves covered by the cartilage will also be exposed, causing joint pain and stiffness, and even the inability to climb stairs and bend over. In severe cases, the patient cannot take care of himself!

You may ask, how long does the process of joint aging take? This depends on whether you start to pay attention to and take care of your joints from a young age. If you pay attention to joint care early, you can effectively delay joint aging.

Typical symptoms of degenerative osteoarthritis

❖Morning stiffness : After getting up in the morning or after not exercising for a long time, the joints will feel stiff for a long time, like a sticky feeling, which will gradually improve after proper movement.

"Crackling" sound when the joint moves: The degeneration and peeling of articular cartilage will expose the bone under the cartilage. When the joint moves, the exposed bones at both ends touch each other and make a sound.

❖Restricted joint movement : One or some joints of the body cannot move freely and seem to be out of one's control.

❖Joint swelling and pain : When a joint is inflamed, fluid accumulates in the joint space, causing swelling and pain.

●How to help joints resist "aging"

❖Don't be overweight : The main pressure on the human spine and limb joints comes from the weight of the body. Being overweight is a cause of premature joint degeneration that cannot be ignored (fat people think that the human body is always at odds with its weight). Scientific data shows that for every 0.5 kg of weight loss, your knee joints will bear 2 kg less pressure. So if you can get rid of 5 kg of fat, you can reduce the burden on your knee joints by 20 kg! People often say that without pressure, there is no motivation, but for joints, without pressure, there is no harm.

Figure 3 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

❖Don't over-exercise : Life lies in exercise, and now is the era of "mermaid line" and "waistline", and the sports trend is sweeping the world like a storm. But you have to pay attention, strong collision, excessive weight, and frequent knee rotation will increase the wear and damage of joint cartilage tissue and affect joint health. Therefore, people who like to climb mountains, climb stairs, and squat need to pay special attention to the maintenance of joints.

Some people often have a wrong understanding of joints, thinking that problems such as joint stiffness, limited mobility, creaking, and joint swelling and pain are caused by too little activity, and hope to improve the above symptoms by increasing exercise. The result is that the more they exercise, the more serious the injury.

Some people may say that since joints are afraid of wear and tear, it is better to move as little as possible and stay in bed for a long time. If you lack exercise for a long time, your muscle strength will be weakened, and the less you exercise, the stiffer your muscles and joints will be, and the easier it will be to "rust". Moreover, the articular cartilage itself has no blood vessels and needs to rely on exercise to obtain lubrication and nutrition from the joint fluid. Therefore, it is best to give up the idea of ​​moving less or even not moving at all as soon as possible.

● Strengthen joint nutrition

❖ Joints also need antioxidants : In fact, the "aging" of all parts of the body is closely related to free radicals, and the aging of joints is no exception. Therefore, eating more foods containing antioxidants is definitely good for maintaining joints. For example, fresh fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C, dark green and orange vegetables rich in carotenoids, try to choose olive oil, and eat more seafood from the deep sea.

❖Pay attention to the key substance for joint maintenance - glucosamine : Glucosamine is a substance naturally present in joint fluid. However, as people age, the body's own glucosamine level decreases to a point where supply is insufficient to meet demand, and external food supplements are needed.

There are now a wide variety of health products and medicines containing glucosamine on the market. The "joint community" trusts glucosamine as much as the "diabetes community" trusts insulin. Glucosamine is almost the first choice for joint care. Its protective effects on joints are mainly manifested in the following three aspects: ① Increase joint fluid; ② Promote the formation of joint cartilage and stimulate the regeneration of injured cartilage; ③ Prevent cartilage degeneration.

Of course, if you belong to a special group, such as pregnant or breastfeeding women, diabetics, hypertensive patients, hypercholesterolemia patients and people who are allergic to shellfish, it is best not to decide on your own whether to take health products or medicines containing glucosamine. It is more reliable to seek the advice of a doctor.