Food for Arthritis Pain

Simply put, arthritis is stiffness and pain caused by the body’s immune system mistakenly attacking connective tissue in the joints. The body responds by inflaming the area, which is supposed to help clear out the damage. With arthritis, the pain and swelling returns or remains because the immune system continues to damage the tissue. If you’re constantly experiencing knee pain when you stand up from a seated position you might have arthritis.

There are many treatment options for arthritis, but in the event that you’d like to take a more hands-on approach, there are foods that you can integrate into your diet which can help ease the pain and swelling.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 Fatty Acids decrease the production of cytokine proteins, which trigger the immune system to eat away at your cartilage. For those who of us who live in Cedar Rapids, a good choice for an Omega-3 source would be sardines. Sardines have a longer shelf life than most fish, like salmon and which might be more readily available.

Vegetables

Other helpful foods are in the cruciferous vegetable family. These include kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cabbage. These are high in vitamin C, which helps build collagen, a key component in cartilage. Be aware, however, that these vegetables have shown to cause trouble for people with an under active thyroid. All of these vegetables are wonderful side-dish to any meal – chop them up, drizzle some olive oil over them and roast them in the oven for about twenty minutes.

Sweet potatoes, carrots, kale and apricots are also great choices to have. They are high in carotenoids, a powerful antioxidant that helps reduce swelling. Carrots, kale chips and apricots are a great snack food. Eat these in place of junk food and you might even save some money.

Berries

Berries are full of bioflavonoids, which are a natural anti-inflammatory. Everything from blueberries to elderberries can help reduce the production of chemicals in the body that cause swelling. Since berries don’t have much of a shelf life, try planting some berry bushes in your backyard. They can survive local climates in Iowa, and having the berries readily available on your property will make eating them a snap; they’ll literally be right at your fingertips.

Chronic knee pain and stiffness in other joints is not something we want to have to deal with on a daily basis. Taking pain relievers and other pills can get expensive and can actually do damage to other parts of your body. Adding some foods to your diet to help your body combat arthritis is a simple, low cost way to take back control so you can continue doing the things you like to do.

Give us a call at 319 540 8089 or contact us here for arthritis pain solutions.