Adding these foods to your diet can help alleviate the aches and inflammation that are associated with arthritis.
Osteoarthritis, or common arthritis, affects more than 32 million Americans. You may be suffering from this if you have noticed your hands, knees or hips getting stiffer and more painful. Arthritis is a degenerative joint condition, which means that the cartilage that normally acts padding for the wear and tear your joints endure, has begun to deteriorate. When this happens, the bones begin to touch one another in your joints and can cause inflammation, redness, pain and stiffness. Not fun!
Although there are pain-relieving drugs that can help, significant relief can be found in everyday life changes. Stretching and regular movement is one of the best things to help your joints from deteriorating. This causes the muscles to stay strong, which play a major role in supporting your joints. Apart from movement, your diet can also play a major role in arthritic symptoms. The following foods have been shown to help soother your achy joints and might even slow down the effects of arthritis.
1. Cherries
This deep red fruit are not just a sweet treat, they are also full of anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that can also be found in raspberries and blueberries. These antioxidants have been found to help reduce inflammation. Other studies also suggest they decrease the C-reactive protein, which also causes inflammation.
2. Olive Oil
That extra-virgin olive oil that you use in your cooking contains unsaturated fats that help lower inflammation in the body. It may also help limit the cartilage deterioration in your joints. Olive oil also contains oleocanthal, which is great news for those with arthritis. It has been found by scientists to help alleviate pain the same way that naproxen and ibuprofen can.
3. Spinach & Kale
Years ago, who would have thought the salad bar decorations could play a role in arthritis relief. These leafy greens are packed with vitamin K, which is important to cartilage health. It has been shown that older individuals that have insufficient levels of vitamin K are more likely to develop arthritis. Some scientists believe that the vitamin K works by limiting the cartilage from hardening.
4. Garlic
This potent smelling vegetable is often cited for its function in warding off carcinogens, heart disease and even the common cold. However, recently it has been shown to possibly reduce the risk of arthritis. This could be from the diallyl disulfide that is found it in and other alliums including leeks, shallots and onions. This compound appears to fight against cartilage-damaging proteins.
5. Salmon
Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are excellent in fighting inflammation. There are two types of omega-3's, DHA & EPA and both are found in salmon. Besides the arthritic benefits of fish, the American Heart Association recommends eating fish twice a week to prevent heart disease. If you don't like eating fish, you can find fish oils in pill form and you can also look into chia seeds, which are also high in omega-3s.
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