Eat Your Way To Arthritis Relief

Anyone who suffers from arthritis has probably debated whether or not they should try alternative treatments to the typical prescription pain medications. You may have hear talk recently that specific diets can be very effective at treating arthritis and potentially eliminating the need to constant pain medication. Food may someday be the treatment of choice for people living with an inflammatory disease. There is still a lot of research and verification to be done, but for now here is some information on foods that may benefit arthritis sufferers.

Note that this guide is strictly for informational purposes only and is not meant to provide medical advice. Always consult your doctor before beginning a new diets or treatment.

Apples
Everyone has probably heard the old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" or something to that effect. That's because the wide range of health benefits from apples has been know for a long time, a very long time. The health benefits of apples were first recorded as early as medieval times giving rise to the old English saying that roughly translates to "Eat an apple before going to bed makes the doctor beg his bread". Sound familiar?

Apples are naturally high in Fiber, Vitamins, and Antioxidants. But it's the antioxidants that we are interested in for arthritis relief. The reason is that the antioxidants contained in apples have strong anti-inflammatory effects in the body, thus reducing the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis. One fact to consider when eating apples for their antioxidants is that the skin of the apple contain five times more antioxidants than does the flesh. So its best not to peel the apples since that will remove a vast majority of the antioxidants you are eating the apple for in the first place. Red Delicious apples are also the variety that contains the most antioxidants.

Avocados
High in Monounsaturated oils, essential fatty acids, and vitamin E. All of which are antioxidants and help promote the repair of cartilage. Recent research from Colorado State University shows that extracts from avocados may indeed reduce the severity of cartilage damage associated with osteoarthritis.
"Our study was prompted by positive clinical findings in human research as well as some work in in-vitro experiments which found that [the extracts] reduce the production and release of inflammatory enzymes," says Christopher Kawcak, DVM, PhD.

Pineapple

Bromelain is a chemical in pineapple that helps prevent inflammation and can help the body rid itself of immune antigen complex which has been implicated iun some arthritic conditions. Bromelain has also shown to help the body process fibrin which is another suspect of some forms of arthritis. In some studies studies of Bromelain’s anti-inflammatory effects have shown it to be more effective and better tolerated than most common over the counter and prescription anti-inflammatory drugs such and Aleeve and Piroxicam. A 1995 German study of people with strains and torn ligaments found that bromelain caused a significant reduction in swelling, tenderness, and pain while at rest and during movement.

Red Wine
Red wine has long been touted as being beneficial in reducing coronary health problems, but recently research has indicated it may also be some substantial benefits for treating arthritis and other inflammatory illnesses. This is due to the alcohol and potent antioxidants Resveratrol and Flavanoids that are in red wine. Red wine also contains high levels of poly-phenols which are yet another antioxidant with anti-inflammatory effects. Of course with all alcohol consumption, it is only effective when moderated. The alcohol in red wine may also ward off the progression and severity of rheumatoid arthritis since it dampens the body’s immune response which is believed to be the cause of Rheumatoid arthritis. But remember, alcohol is only beneficial in moderation.

Chili Peppers
Two primary substances in chilli pepers called capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin have shown evidence that they can block the transmission of pain messages throughout the body. Not only do they potentially reduce pain themselves, they also trigger endorphins which are the brain’s own morphine like painkillers. Seems ironic that the same active substance in chilli pepers that causes so much irritation to the eyes and throat (think pepper spray) is also a powerful pain killer when ingested.

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
Broccoli, spinach, parsley, and many other dark green leafy vegetables contain an abundance of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and of course more antioxidants. All of which are beneficial at reducing pain and inflammation. Broccoli in particular has been labeled as one of the super foods that have many beneficial vitamins and antioxidants that help a variety of illnesses.

Walnuts, Macadamia Nuts & Oily Fish
The richest source of Monounsaturated fatty acids. You’ve probably heard the term before as Omega-3 fatty acids. They are known to reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and osteoarthritis but may also help reduce the onset and severity of arthritis in general.

Blackberries, Blueberries, and Mulberries
These berries are packed with antioxidants that help fight free radical damage. Great or snack alternatives.

Angelica
This herbal root has been used in Europe and China since antiquity for its anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic(muscle relaxant), and pain relieving properties. The western variety in particular has been found to have 12 anti-inflammatory, 10 anti-spasmotic, and 5 pain relieving constituents.

Black Cohosh
A Native American treatment for rheumatism derived from using the root of black cohosh. The root contains an aspirin-like substance and possibly other anti-inflammatory constituents.

Epsom Salt (magneiium sulfate)
Magnesium is known to have anti-inflammatory and arthritic relieving properties and can also be absorbed through the skin. Magnesium is a very important mineral in the body which is commonly deficient in many American diets. Epsom Salt treatments are most often administered by adding the salt to a hot bath.

Ginger
Used for treating many ailments due to it’s anti-inflammatory effects. Ginger can be included in vegetable stir fries or added to herbal teas

Oregano
This spice contains rosmarinic acid which is an antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory properties.

Rosemary
The plant’s leaves contain four different medicinal substances: Carnosol, Olaenolic Acid, Rosemarinic Acid, and Ursolic Acid. Carnosol acts in similar to aspirin and steroids in the anti-inflammatory uses. In animal trials Ursolic acid has been shown to have anti arthritic effects.

Tumeric
This spice has long been used in Asian and Indian medicine to treat inflammatory ailments. The primary ingredient Curcumin has gotten the attention of medical researchers for its potential benefits to arthritis sufferers.

While the following foods may not have any medicinal value in preventing or relieving arthritis symptoms, they are generally accepted as foods which will NOT aggravate or worsen the condition.

• Whole Grains: brown rice, millet, oats, and wheat

• Cooked or dried fruits: cherries, cranberries, pears, prunes

• Cooked green, yellow, and orange vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, chard, collards, lettuce, spinach, string beans, summer or winter squash, sweet potatoes

• Water: plenty of plain old water for hydration

• Condiments: salt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract are generally well tolerated in moderate ammounts
  

• Seaweeds

• Spirulina

• Cold Water Fish: salmon, sardines, and herring, tuna, trout, mackerel

• Green Tea: Packed with antioxidants an it believed to help prevent the onset or progression of arthritis

• Orange Juice: beta-cryptoxanthin contained in orange juice helps prevent swelling in joints and reduce the onset of arthritis

Now that we have covered what foods have positive effect for arthritis sufferers lets outline some of the foods that have negative effects for arthritis sufferers and should be avoided. Some foods are believed to actually aggravate arthritis and speed up the degenerative effects.

• Vegetables from the nightshade family such as tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant

• Foods high in saturated fat such as full fat dairy and fatty meats

• Dairy products

• Refined Sugars

• Processed & Red Meat

• affeine

• Soft Drinks

• Flour

• Tobacco