Daily fibre supplement reduced knee arthritis pain and improved strength in just 6 weeks, study finds (Image AI Generated)
New research shows that taking a simple daily fibre supplement can help people with knee osteoarthritis feel less pain and have improved physical function. Researchers discovered that after only 6 weeks, consumption of inulin, a natural prebiotic fibre that occurs in many plants including chicory root, onions, garlic and asparagus, helped to alleviate knee pain and improve grip strength.
The results are promising, but experts advise that fibre supplements should be used as a supplement to exercise, weight loss and prescribed osteoarthritis treatment.
The University of Nottingham-based clinical trial compared the effects of inulin with a placebo in individuals with knee osteoarthritis and found that those who consumed 20g of inulin each day did show improvements in their symptoms.
The research, published in the journal Nutrients (2026), is titled "Effect of Prebiotic Supplementation With and Without Physiotherapy on Pain and Pain Sensitivity in People with Knee Osteoarthritis. Adults with knee OA were recruited and randomized to receive inulin, digital physiotherapy, both or placebo for six weeks.
The results showed that people taking inulin experienced:
It is believed that these benefits may be related to alterations in the gut microbiome and boost in gut hormones that affect inflammation and pain perception. But bigger and longer studies are required to verify these results, they said.
Inulin is a prebiotic fibre, which is a fibre that feeds good bacteria in the gut, but is not digested by the body. In nature, it is found in chicory root, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, garlic, leek and bananas.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) state that dietary fibre can help maintain good digestive health and could be beneficial for overall metabolic health. The gut microbiome also may have a role in inflammation in the body, such as the joints, according to growing evidence.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements provided the source.
Previous studies indicate that inulin could have the following benefits besides its possible effect on knee osteoarthritis:
But these can vary from person to person and even according to their quantity.
According to Mayo Clinic, osteoarthritis treatment involves using medications, if necessary, physical therapy, weight management and exercise to relieve the pain, maintain joint function and improve quality of life. For some it can help to take supplements, but there is no evidence to support this and it is not a substitute for treatment.
Likewise, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and using appropriate pain management are the primary treatments recommended by the National Health Service (NHS) for osteoarthritis.
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