A Diet to Help You Beat Arthritis

BY CHIOMA UMEHA

According to the findings, you can do something about your arthritis. The first step is to learn everything you can about the illness. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis, affecting the interior joints of the hands and feet, causing swelling and pain.

Apart from joint discomfort and swelling, you may also have weariness and, in some cases, a fever. If any changes, especially during the cold season, may aggravate your problem. Osteoarthritis is another type of arthritis that mostly affects the elderly and those who have had trauma to their joints. Experts have discovered some natural arthritis treatments that can aid those suffering from this painful disease.

Hippocrates wrote centuries ago, "Let food be thy medicine," which is especially wise if you suffer from arthritis. Several studies have found that certain foods can help relieve tender joints, reduce joint stiffness, and even help arthritis patients decrease the amount of medication they require.

Other foods, on the other hand, can aggravate pain and inflammation. While there is no cure for arthritis, adopting an anti-inflammatory diet might help alleviate symptoms and reduce your risk of developing other chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and perhaps Alzheimer's disease

Possible Cause of Inflammation

The slow breakdown of cartilage in overworked joints was formerly blamed for osteoarthritis (OA), which affects 27 million Americans.

Researchers at Stanford School of Medicine recently changed medical understanding on OA by demonstrating that chronic, low-grade inflammation is the primary cause of the illness.

The study's principal author, William Robinson, MD, PhD, said in a story on the Stanford website, "It's a paradigm shift." "Most people in the field think of osteoarthritis as a simple case of wear and tear, like a car's tires progressively wearing out."

In fact, persons with OA have an abnormally large number of inflammatory cells in their joints. Early in the disease, initial joint damage triggers a biochemical chain reaction that escalates into an immune system attack, according to the study published in Nature.

The role of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an inflammatory illness that causes inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues, has long been recognized. Because the body mistakenly assaults healthy tissue as if it were an enemy invader, it's like being shot by friendly fire.

RA can begin at any age, but it is more common in those in their 40s and 50s. It affects joints on both sides of the body and causes pain, swelling, redness, stiffness (especially in the morning), and weariness in women three times more than in males. Joints can lose their range of motion and distort overtime. According to the National Institutes of Health, the condition can also affect other organs, causing symptoms such as chest pain, dry eyes and mouth, itching and burning in the eyes, and numbness or tingling in the feet.

Foods to Avoid If You Have Arthritis

1. Added sugars.

2. Highly processed foods

3. Gluten-containing foods

4. Alcohol

5. Salty foods

Six Techniques to Relieve Arthritic Pain

1.      Manage your weight

2.      Get enough exercise

3.  Use hot and cold therapy: take a lengthy, warm shower or bath in the morning to help relieve stiffness and using an electric blanket or wet heating pad to lessen discomfort overnight are two heat therapies. Cold therapies can aid in the relief of joint discomfort, oedema, and inflammation. Wrap a towel around a gel ice pack or a bag of frozen veggies and apply it to hurting joints for immediate relief. Never put ice straight on your skin.

4.      Use meditation as relief to pain

5.      Eat a balanced diet

6.      Get a massage

Foods that Aid with Arthritis Management

If you take medication, consult your nutritionist/dietitian before making major dietary changes, as some foods can have negative interactions with certain medications.

According to research, the following anti-inflammatory foods may be especially beneficial for arthritis patients:

Oily fish: such as herring, salmon, mackerel, and tuna: These fish—or fish oil supplements—contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are among the most effective anti-inflammatory substances in food. According to the University of Maryland, fish oil can help with joint discomfort and morning stiffness. In one trial, persons with RA who took fish oil were able to reduce their dose of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDS).

Shellfish: Shellfish, such as mussels, are another source of omega-3 fatty acids. Researchers found that eating mussels improved walking speed, grip strength, joint stiffness, and discomfort in persons with OA. According to the University of Maryland, a study of 17 randomized research indicated that omega-3 supplementation improved joint pain in RA patients.

Tart cherries: According to CBS News, tart cherries "had the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food" according to a 2012 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine conference in San Francisco. The researchers discovered that consuming tart cherry juice twice a day for two weeks lowered inflammation markers in women with inflammatory OA. In a previous trial of OA patients, a daily intake of tart cherries (in the form of extract) reduced OA pain by more than 20% for the vast majority of men and women.

Olive oil: A recent test of RA patients revealed that supplementing their diet with fish oil and olive oil relieved joint pain, hand grip strength, morning stiffness, and weariness more effectively than taking fish oil alone, as compared to a placebo group of patients who were given soy oil.