By Chioma Umeha
If you take medication, consult your healthcare
provider or pharmacist before making major changes in your diet, since some
foods can have harmful interactions with certain drugs.
Research suggests that these anti-inflammatory
foods may be particularly beneficial for arthritis sufferers:
• Oily
fish, such as herring, salmon, mackerel, and tuna. The omega-3 fatty acids in
these fish – or fish oil supplements – are considered to be among the most
powerful anti-inflammatory compounds in food. Studies show that fish oil
combats joint pain and morning stiffness, according to the University of
Maryland. One study also found that people with RA were able to lower their
dose of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) if they took fish oil.
• Shellfish.
Another source of omega-3 fatty acids is shellfish, such as mussels.
Researchers reported improvements in walking pace, grip strength, joint
stiffness, and pain in people with OA when they ate mussels. An analysis of 17
randomized studies also found that omega-3 supplements reduced joint pain in RA
patients, University of Maryland reports.
• Tart
cherries. A 2012 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine
conference in San Francisco reported that tart cherries “have the highest
anti-inflammatory content of any food,” according to CBS News. The scientists
found that in a study of women with inflammatory OA, drinking tart cherry juice
twice a day for two weeks significantly reduced markers of inflammation. An
earlier study of OA patients found that a daily dose of tart cherries (in the
form of extract) reduced OA pain by more than 20 percent for the majority of
men and women in the study.
• Olive
oil. A small study of people with RA found that supplementing their diet with
fish oil and olive oil resulted in greater relief of joint pain, hand grip
strength, morning stiffness, and fatigue than taking fish oil alone, compared
to a placebo group of patients who were given soy oil.
