The impact of dietary bioactives on Osteoarthritis during menopause

Half a billion people worldwide live with osteoarthritis, yet no drug exists that can slow or stop the disease—and women face nearly double the risk after menopause, for reasons that remain poorly understood. This project tackles that gap. While plant-rich diets are known to protect joints, most studies have tested isolated compounds at unrealistically high doses, and almost none have asked whether those compounds work differently in a menopausal context. The researchers will use lab models of osteoarthritis to examine how combinations of diet-derived compounds—such as sulforaphane from broccoli, resveratrol from grapes, and curcumin from turmeric—affect both joint health and the brain, since menopause-linked dementia and osteoarthritis often occur together. If the work succeeds, it could provide the mechanistic evidence needed to design dietary interventions that genuinely slow osteoarthritis progression in postmenopausal women. That would shift treatment from symptom management toward disease modification, potentially reducing the need for joint replacements and easing the growing burden on healthcare systems as populations age. The research is applied and translational, aiming directly at a clinical gap.