Your health and diet
Improving the health of your joints and easing your arthritis symptoms is always at the front of your mind when you live with arthritis and finding out how diet can help with arthritis is really valuable. The first points to note before we look at individual foods are that maintaining a healthy weight, not below or above what is considered healthy for your height, will mean you are in the best position health-wise to handle the symptoms of your condition. If you are below or above a healthy weight you may seem improvement in your arthritis pain simply if you gain or lose the weight needed to be considered healthy.
There are no magic foods when it comes to easing arthritic pain but if you’re looking for a diet to help with arthritis, try including some of the below ingredients in your meals.
Cruciferous Veg
By this we mean broccoli, Brussel sprouts and cabbage, all of which are packed with sulforaphane which is known to slow cartilage damage in joints which has been caused by osteoarthritis. This research was carried out 2013 and whilst it is only an early study, it can’t hurt to increase your green vegetable intake.
Fatty Fish
Fish which are packed with healthy fats like salmon, tuna and trout help fight inflammation and boost the health of your heart. If you can include this type of fish into your diet twice a week then your body will thank you for it and it will help keep down the painful inflammation associated with arthritis. If you really aren’t a fish eater then ask your doctor about an omega-3 supplement.
Garlic
Garlic is an ingredient which is easy to incorporate into a wide range of meals and it is great if you’re trying to alleviate symptoms of arthritis as it contains a compound called diallyl disulphide. Research has found that this compound may have an effect in limiting cartilage damaging enzymes and this includes those which are prevalent in osteoarthritis.
Turmeric
A spice rather than a regular food turmeric, like garlic, can be worked into many meals. Turmeric has a good reputation as an anti-inflammatory as it contains a compound called curcumin, which has been studied and found possibly beneficial in the management of chronic inflammatory-related joint disease. This is new research though so it is always best to add the spice naturally to your food rather than going overboard.
Would you like to make an appointment to discuss your arthritis?
If you have any questions about arthritis or would like to book an appointment with Dr Stephanie Barrett then please get in touch here.