You've heard of a green thumb. But how about green knees?

Could be a good way to describe the youthful knees of a green-tea devotee. Potent compounds in green tea -- EGCG and ECG -- may help battle cartilage and collagen destruction in arthritic joints.

Catechin Delight
The EGCG and ECG found in green tea are powerful flavonoids known as catechins. Seems these particular catechins may help fight inflammation, as well as some of the underlying mechanisms at work in both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

A Better Plan?
Of course, drinking a few cupfuls of green tea each day is no guarantee against knee pain, so here are a few of the more tried-and-true methods for keeping knees healthy:

• Lose weight if you are overweight. Excess pounds raise your risk of knee arthritis. Check your BMI here.
• Play it safe. A knee injury will triple your risk of knee osteoarthritis. When you exercise, take proper precautions to avoid getting hurt.
• Strengthen your quads. Weak quadriceps muscles are associated with knee arthritis, so work them out regularly, along with your hamstrings and all of your other leg muscles. Try this workout program for exercises that use your own body as resistance.

Feel something crunching and creaking in your knees? Early intervention can slow arthritis progression. Answer these questions to see if you could have osteoarthritis.

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This tip originally ran on 8/07/2007.