What to eat for joint pain (the arthritis diet)

🌿Joint pain can be due to various types of arthritis, usually divided into non inflammatory (ie osteoarthritis) and inflammatory ( ie rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis) 🌿Interestingly, even though the causes and pathology are different, research shows that diet influences all joint pain in the same way- by reducing inflammation 🌿Eating an 'anti-inflammatory diet' can improve all types of arthritis as a result, and has been fairly extensively researched with positive results 🌿The following foods have all shown evidence of both improving inflammatory markers (ie CRP, IL-6), and reducing symptoms of joint pain. Some have also been shown to delay or slow joint damage on xrays 🌿Brightly colored fruits, berries, and grapes: - these are rich in vitamin c, and a, which are powerful antioxidants - they also contain high levels of polyphenols, acanthocyanin, and quecertin (all plant based compounds with anti inflammatory effects) - grapes are high in reservatrol, another highly antioxidant compound 🌿Tomatoes and peppers have very similar benefits to brightly colored fruit. Tomatoes also contain lycopene (a powerful antioxidant compound) 🌿Omega 3 rich foods such as oily fish, flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts. Multiple studies show that diets high on omega 3 are highly effective in reducing inflammation and improving joint symptoms. 🌿Dark green veges (brocolli, dark leafy veges) are high in vitamin e (an antioxidant that reduces inflammation), vitamin k (promotes bone health), sulphonoranes (antioxidant found in brocolli) and quecertin 🌿Nuts and seeds are high in vitamin e, monounsaturated fat, and B vitamins. In one study people who regularly ate these had 50% lower rates of RA and other inflammatory diseases 🌿Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, regular consumption has been shown to reduce inflammatory markers and improve symptoms. It's also rich in oleocanthal, an antioxidant with similar effects to ibuprofen 🌿Green tea is a potent antioxidant due to a compound called EGCG which reduces inflammatory cytokines 🌿Legumes, tumeric, and ginger are all also great to include!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7503186/#!po=76.9663 https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/arthritis-diet/anti-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory-diet.php https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-anti-inflammatory-foods