What to eat to ease arthritis
Monique Tello,
Arthritis affects about 1 in 5 American adults, but while this condition is common, its also complex. Arthritis, which comes from the Greek words for joint and inflammation, refers to more than 100 types of joint disease, the most common of which are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis is more likely to start or get worse with age, partly because of the physical changes that accompany aging, but could an anti-inflammatory diet be an antidote?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease (an abnormal response of the immune system) that affects the entire body. It tends to be more debilitating than osteoarthritis (OA), which affects specific joints.
Currently, there are more questions than answers about how nutrition may help prevent or treat arthritis. It appears that good nutrition may be able to reduce symptoms and the dependence on arthritis medications, but probably cant protect the joints enough to completely take the place of medication.
Of course, inflammation isnt always bad. For example, when your ankle swells after you sprain it, thats normal inflammation, which serves to protects and repair damaged tissue. But inflammation from stress on the joints or an autoimmune response harms more than it heals.
Thats where an anti-inflammatory diet may help.
An anti-inflammatory diet is similar to a Mediterranean diet. It limits sugar, refined grains and highly processed foods, and includes a lot of phytonutrient-rich plant foods, like vegetables, fruits, pulses and whole grains, along with omega-3 fatty acids from fish and nuts.
While some specific foods may trigger inflammation, those foods tend to vary from person to person, so theres no universal autoimmune diet. Keeping a food log can help you see your overall eating pattern and determine how it might affect arthritis symptoms.
Here are more tips that may help reduce arthritis symptoms:
Fish Oil. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory benefits, and evidence suggests that omega-3s from fatty fish, such as salmon, or from fish oil supplements enhance the effectiveness of medical treatment for arthritis.
The Arthritis Foundation says that the recommended dosage is up to 2.6 grams, twice a day, pointing out that omega-3s can also reduce the risk of heart disease, which is more common among people with RA.
Exercise. Studies show that regular, appropriate exercise may help reduce joint pain and stiffness, making movement easier. It also increases muscle strength and produces endorphins, which help control pain and improve your overall health and well-being. Ask your doctors what activities are safe for you.
Protein. Research shows that RA patients tend to have more fat and less muscle, in large part due to the fact that chronic inflammation increases protein breakdown. Exercise (especially resistance exercise) combined with feeding the muscles adequate protein can help preserve lean muscle.
Weight loss. Excess body weight can increase joint pain by putting additional pressure on the joints and many inflammation-promoting compounds are found in fat tissue. Weight loss may lessen arthritis symptoms by reducing inflammation in the joints and the rest of the body.
Vegetables and fruits. Vegetables and fruits are packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients that may help reduce inflammation. Eat the rainbow so that you enjoy the full spectrum of nutrients.
Nightshades. The claim that nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and peppers aggravate arthritis pain has no research to back it up.
In fact, nightshade vegetables contain antioxidants and phytonutrients that may have anti-inflammatory benefits.
Source: The Seattle Times
