Abstract
Background: The effect of dietary modifications on pain and joint function in
adults with osteoarthritis (OA) is an emerging area of study. This systematic
review aimed to evaluate if adults with OA who consume diets with a higher
proportion of plant phenols and omega‐3 fatty acids would have less pain and
improved joint function than those with a higher proportion of saturated fatty
acids, omega‐6 fatty acids and refined carbohydrates.
Methods: Database searches of CINAHL (EBSCO), Clinical Trials (NIH‐
NLM), Cochrane Library (Wiley), Dissertation & Thesis Global (ProQuest),
Embase (Elsevier), Medline (OVID), PubMed (NLM), Scopus (Elsevier), Web
of Sciences (Clarivate) for clinical trials identified 7763 articles published
between January 2015 and May 2023. After an independent review of the
articles, seven randomised clinical trials and one nonrandomised clinical trial
were included in the analysis. Because of the heterogeneity of the outcome
measures, a meta‐analysis was not possible.
Results: Participants who were instructed to consume high‐phenol/high‐
omega‐3 fatty acid diets reported significant improvements in pain and
physical function scores. The greatest improvement was reported by those who
consumed a diet that had the most omega‐3 fatty acids.
Conclusion: Because of the high risk of bias, the strength of the evidence is limited.
However, there is evidence that counselling adults with OA to replace refined grains
and processed foods with whole plant foods, fish and plant oils may have a
favourable effect on pain and physical function. Routine follow‐up care regarding
these diet modifications may be necessary to ensure adherence to this therapy.