Islamabad - One of the most important steps is to keep a healthy body weight. People should maintain a healthy weight for many reasons, but the protection of the knee joints is one of the most important.

Overweight and obesity is a major risk factor for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Being overweight increases the risk of OA developing and makes the symptoms of OA worse.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, 1 in 5 Americans have been diagnosed with arthritis. Among obese people, the rate is more than 1 in 3.

OA is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage, the tissue that covers the ends of bones where they form a joint.

Excess body weight directly increases the pressure on the knee joints.

There are two main ways for OA to develop. The first is through forces acting upon the joints.

The second path is through an increase in inflammation. This increase can affect how muscles work and how sensitive nerve endings are. Inflammation leads to an increase in pain.

Fat is active tissue. It creates and releases chemicals within the body that can promote inflammation. These chemicals can further influence the development of OA.

The Arthritis Foundation state that 1 pound of excess weight exerts about 4 pounds of extra pressure on the knees. If someone is overweight by 10 pounds, they have an extra 40 pounds of pressure on their knees.

Being overweight also puts extra stress on the joints. Extra stress makes the joints more likely to wear down and become damaged. The stress and damage are especially apparent in weight-bearing joints such as the knees and the hips.

The risk of OA makes it important to keep BMI under control. Some people with OA have difficulty exercising because they are in so much pain. If this is the case, a doctor can help with finding exercise options.

People with OA should speak with a doctor before starting any type of exercise program. A nutritionist can help with improving diet.

Simple lifestyle changes can lead to weight loss which can help reduce overall pain and improve mobility.

A Framingham study notes that among women with a baseline body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 25, weight loss was associated with a significantly lower risk of knee OA. The researchers concluded that among older adults, if obese men lost enough weight to fall into the overweight category and men in the overweight category lost enough weight to move into the normal weight category, OA of the knee would decrease by 21.5 percent.

Weight loss should be combined with a healthy diet to ease knee pain caused by OA. Wake Forest University conducted a study showing the importance of diet and exercise in helping OA of the knee.

Results showed that the diet and exercise group lost more pounds, had less knee pain, walked fast and felt better while performing their daily activities than the other participants.

They reported a 51 percent reduction in pain. Those who just followed a special diet had a 25 percent reduction and those who just exercised had a 28 percent reduction.

The study helped to showcase how a combination of diet and exercise can help to alleviate OA symptoms. Even a 10 percent decrease in weight can make a noticeable difference.

Peaches can lead to eye good

health, shiny skin

Juicy, sweet and rich in flavor peaches are loved for their exotic flavor. The fruit belongs to China but is indulged into by the whole world. But not only is it good for taste but also for holding amazing health benefits.

Here are the health benefits of peaches,

Your eyes need adequate and particular nutrients especially when they are going weak. One of the key nutrient good for eye is beta carotene. Peaches are enriched with beta carotene and thus able to improve the working of eye muscles in addition to enhancing blood circulation to all parts of body.

This is the lesser known benefit of peaches but is no less important than the other ones. Nutrients in peaches reduce the risk of developing painful ulcers. So, if you want to treat your kidneys to an extra cleansing ritual, indulge in this succulent fruit.

Peaches have vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. They are also rich in antioxidants. With this long list of beneficial compounds, peaches work wonders for the overall health and well-being of the body.

This delicious fruit has plenty vitamin C, which not only acts as a booster for immune system functioning, but also protects the skin from damage. In fact, peaches are often used as a component of external beauty care routines especially for the elimination of dark circles and wrinkles.