19 August, 2005 23:29 GMT
The same ingredients that give certain foods their bright coloring may reduce inflammation and stave off arthritis.
Eating brightly colored fruit and vegetables could help stave off arthritis, research suggests. Scientists believe compounds called carotenoids, which are responsible for the orange and yellow coloring of the produce, could have an antioxidant effect and reduce joint inflammation.
An eight-year study of more than 25,000 people found that the average daily intake of the carotenoids beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin was 40 and 20 percent lower respectively for arthritis patients than for healthy participants.
Arthritis Half as Likely
In addition, patients with the highest beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin intake were around half as likely to develop arthritis in multiple joints than those with the lowest intake.
Mangoes, peaches, oranges and watermelons are rich in betacryptoxanthin, while zeaxanthin is found in orange peppers, sweetcorn, spinach and peas.
The findings, by researchers at the University of Manchester, appear in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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