Are your joints weary and teary? Don't bite your nails or pop your knuckles! This article has all the foods ordered for your arthritis pain. You need to knuckle down to this diet from this day on.
If you have red, swollen, deformed, and painful joints; or have been stiff and less mobile in recent years, you might be suffering from Osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a wear-and-tear form of arthritis. Let's articulate this in fathomable lines.
The long bones have cartilages at the end that act as a cushion. The cartilage between the bones helps them glide against each other smoothly. The condition causes the stripping of this layer of cartilage. And the loss of cartilage leads to the loss of joint space and increased density of bone along the joint line.
The constant rubbing of bony surfaces against each other leads to formation of bony spurs that are evident on x-rays. This results in joint pain and stiffness. The most commonly affected areas are the knees, hips, cervical spine, fingers, and wrist joints.
This form of arthritis is treated by pain-relieving medications but dietary regimens and lifestyle changes can help ease the pain.
Here are 5 foods for an arthritic's plate. My gut feeling is, this diet will surely strengthen your bones and joints.
First and foremost, your joints won't be too good under pounds of weight. Lose some weight to ease your achy joints!
- SALMON
Oily fishes are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA are two types of omega-3s that are found in all cells of the body. Those who are not fish fans can consider fish alternatives, fish oil, or algae-based supplements that contain EPA and DHA.
- OLIVE OIL
Olive oil contains unsaturated fats which help reduce inflammation in the body. This oil contains oleocanthal, which has a mechanism of action that is similar to the NSAIDs like Naproxen and Ibuprofen (pain killers).
- FRUITS
The red hue of strawberries, blueberries, and cherries is due to the pigment, anthocyanin. Anthocyanins are known to reduce inflammation. Any inflammatory condition causes a spike in C-reactive protein in your blood. A bunch of Cherries will reduce C-reactive, an inflammatory protein. These fruits are rich in polyphenolic flavonoids, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties (pain relieving).
- GARLIC
Even if you hate garlic breath, savor every bite of it. Garlic is known to have anti-inflammatory compounds which interfere with prostaglandins (hormones produced at the site of infection). The compound, diallyl disulphide, found in garlic and other alliums, represses the degradation of cartilage.
- HONEY
Okay, let's BEE healthy!
Honey is a repertoire of anti-oxidants. This syrup has phenolic and flavonoid compounds which have a role in alleviating arthritis symptoms of inflammation. The compound, luteolin a flavonoid found in honey inhibits matrix metalloproteinases, enzymes that degrade the joint cartilage.
It is always wise to adopt healthy and evidence-based lifestyle changes. These foods will make an arthritic joint less achy and more tolerable. Apart from the change in dietary regimen, stretch and exercise improve joint mobility.
Consult your healthcare provider before starting an exercise regimen. Get your doctor to tailor some work out plans.
This Arthritis Day i.e. 12 October let's walk together and fight ARTHRITIS!
Download the MedBound app & learn new things everyday!
References:
Williams FM, Skinner J, Spector TD, Cassidy A, Clark IM, Davidson RM, MacGregor AJ. Dietary garlic and hip osteoarthritis: evidence of a protective effect and putative mechanism of action. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2010 Dec 8;11:280. doi: 10.1186/1471-2474-11-280. PMID: 21143861; PMCID: PMC3018463.
Basu A , Schell J , Scofield RH . Dietary fruits and arthritis. Food Funct. 2018 Jan 24;9(1):70-77. doi: 10.1039/c7fo01435j. PMID: 29227497; PMCID: PMC5788027.
Ranneh Y, Akim AM, Hamid HA, Khazaai H, Fadel A, Zakaria ZA, Albujja M, Bakar MFA. Honey and its nutritional and anti-inflammatory value. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2021 Jan 14;21(1):30. doi: 10.1186/s12906-020-03170-5. PMID: 33441127; PMCID: PMC7807510.
