Tasty Foods That Help Your Body Fight Inflammation

When suffering from inflamed, stiff joints, day-to-day life can be quite difficult. Fortunately, your diet can help. There are foods that will reduce or even prevent symptoms associated with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, which includes swelling, stiffness, and pain. This is because the symptoms come from inflammation.

A recent study published in 2021 highlighted that people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis had better results in dealing with symptoms when eating a pro-inflammatory diet. In fact, the result was so much better than expected. Those on a good diet had 3.5 times fewer symptoms. And the study was not short. It actually highlighted that these results help for the long term, which is definitely what you want.

So, what should you consider eating to reduce inflammation? The following should be added to your diet and there is a pretty good possibility you will love it.

Olive Oil

Olive oil has very strong anti-inflammatory benefits. As a result, people eating traditional Mediterranean diets, which are very rich in added olive oil, are faced with fewer health conditions like inflammation. This includes diabetes and degenerative joint diseases.

Oleocanthal is a compound we find in the extra-virgin olive oil. It is very useful since it suppresses pain pathways just like the NSAIDs do. This means you can use the olive oil as you cook foods and still get benefits like reduced inflammation.

Citrus Fruits

Some of the best citrus fruits to consider if you have problems with inflammation are lemons, oranges, limes, and grapefruit. They are very rich in vitamin C content, which is very important for your body when it comes to synthesizing collagen. Collagen plays a great role in repairing and building ligaments, bones, tendons, and blood vessels. If you suffer from osteoarthritis, it is something to take into account.

In citrus fruits, you can find strong antioxidants that are great at fighting inflammation. So, it is not at all a bad idea to start your day right with some orange juice. You can also enjoy lemon juice or lime in your foods as you cook. The goal should be to consume 75 mg of vitamin C daily as an adult woman. For adult men, the intake should be 90 mg. But remember this is a recommendation based on the average individual. Some people might want more or less.

Berries

You can also consider getting some berries in your diet as they are very rich in antioxidants, just like citrus fruits, and can do wonders at fighting inflammation.

The best thing you can do if you love berries is to have at least one serving per day, like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, huckleberries, or blackberries. Such little fruits are very strong at giving you the antioxidants you need, including ellagic acid and proanthocyanins. These actively fight cell damage and inflammation. Obviously, there are differences between berries when it comes to what compounds they include and how much of them.

Whole Grains

These can be very useful to fight inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis because they aid with weight loss and will lessen your pain. These simple grains include the originals you want to see: the germ, endosperm and bran.

You can obtain very important nutrients in your diet when you consume whole grains, like magnesium, potassium, and selenium. There is more in them than in refined grains. Also, if the diet is rich in these whole grains, your weight control becomes better. This will help you deal with pain, which is often associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Basically, what is recommended when you struggle with inflammation is to replace your white bread with some whole wheat bread. Obviously, benefits also appear when you replace your regular pasta with some whole grain pasta. Just make sure the label does not mislead you. What you buy needs to be 100% whole wheat. If not, you most likely do not get what you need or want.

Carrots

Parents often tell their children to eat carrots because they are good for their vision. This is definitely correct. But, you can also gain benefits if you suffer with inflammation. Add some squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots to your shopping list. These vegetables include high quantities of beta-carotene and vitamin A, which both are great at fighting inflammation. And the best thing about them is that when you cook them, these compounds become even more available.

To get the most benefits, you will need to consume the vegetables as regularly as possible and you have to respect serving sizes. Overdoing from time to time does not really help much. Try to eat up to 10 baby carrots or 1 large carrot with your meals to get the benefits you want.

Ginger

The more we learn about ginger, the more impressive it becomes. Just as with onions, in ginger we find some great compounds that are work much like some of the most popular anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen and aspirin. Ginger is highly versatile and will add flavor to your dishes. Simply add some freshly peeled ginger to some stir fries or add some pickled ginger to your salmon sushi. You can even puree some ginger if you want to.

If you do not like ginger, which is the case with some people, you can also take some ginger supplements. They also help to reduce the inflammation you suffer from. However, it is always recommended to discuss this with your doctor first. This is because ginger supplements can interact with some drugs. Also, it can decrease the levels of sugar in your blood, which can be dangerous.

Pineapple

Last but not least, you can find a lot of vitamin C in pineapples and bromelain, which is an enzyme capable of lowering swelling and pain in people affected by rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. The tropical fruit can be added quite often to your diet. It can be included in several salads, can be baked, and you can even just blend it inside a smoothie if you want to. You can also take some bromelain from a supplement but do so only after you discuss it with your doctor.