Triangular relation of food processing, nutrition, and osteoarthritis: A solution for the management and prevention of osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common and prevalent degenerative disorder of the joints. To manage OA using a dietary approach, it is crucial to have accurate knowledge of the nutritional content and bioavailability of OA-related foods. However, the increasing dominance of food processing techniques and technologies in the food sector is a significant concern for nutrition, disease, health, and well-being, leading to imprecise nutrient intake estimation. Increased consumer health awareness regarding the therapeutic potential of diet modification in OA management has led to the requirement to assess the effect of food processing approaches on nutritional quality. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the existing evidence of the effect of different food technologies on OA-related modifiable factors like bioavailability, nutritional and bioactive content, weight management, and inflammation. Scientific evidence supports the effectiveness of nonthermal food technologies over conventional food technologies, specifically ultrasound processing, irradiation, high-pressure, carbon dioxide, electric field, microwave processing, high hydrostatic pressure, and cold plasma; and other food technologies, including food fortification, biofortification, decaffeination processing, nanotechnology, fat replacers, and food excipients, have a tremendous potential to significantly improve diet-based OA management after overcoming their limitations and health-related safety concerns. Specifically, nanotechnology and food excipients are two rapidly emerging technologies that can improve OA management by improving bioavailability and providing sustained nutrient delivery. However, further randomized controlled trials in humans are needed to understand the effects of novel food processing technologies on OA-related foods and their effectiveness for treating and/or preventing OA.