Ways to reduce Joint Pain and Support Joint Health
adapted from MaxLiving.com
One of the most important things you can do to optimize joint health and reduce your risk for joint disorders is to maintain a healthy weight. Each pound of weight you lose can reduce pressure on your knee joint by 4 pounds lessening the burden on your knee joint and lowering your risk for OA.
Joint discomfort from OA and other joint disorders can also decrease physical activity, exacerbating weight gain and other existing problems since additional weight strains the joints.
Managing inflammation and oxidative stress (where free radicals overpower your body’s antioxidant defenses) can also optimize joint health. Inflammation plays a role in most types of arthritis—so does oxidative stress, which contributes to OA and RA.
An antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory diet becomes ideal to supply the nutrients healthy joints require. About 25 percent of the 217 participants in one study of people with RA reported that diet had a significant effect on their condition.
That joint-supporting plan should include:
Clean protein. Optimal levels of protein from sources including organic, free-range poultry and wild-caught fish provide the amino acid building blocks your body needs for the production of the structural protein collagen and so much more.
Healthy fats and oils. Avocado, nuts and seeds, and wild-caught fish provide excellent sources of anti-inflammatory fat. Research also shows the anti-inflammatory and joint-protective effects of extra-virgin olive-oil can benefit people with arthritis.
Cruciferous vegetables. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and other vegetables supply copious nutrients to support joint health including sulforaphane. One study found that mice that consumed a diet rich in this sulfur-containing compound had significantly less cartilage damage and osteoarthritis compared with mice whose diet did not contain sulforaphane.
Berries (including cherries). Clinical studies show antioxidant-rich foods including strawberries and blueberries can reduce the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. Others show eating anthocyanin-rich cherries can reduce symptoms of OA including pain and soreness. In one study, people with OA who consumed tart cherry juice daily for six weeks experienced a significant improvement in pain, stiffness, and physical function while lowering inflammatory markers.
Organic green tea. This beverage earns its healthy glow for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant support that can benefit many conditions including OA.
Clean, filtered water. Articular cartilage is made up of 65 to 80 percent water, so drinking at least 64 ounces of water can support healthy joints.
Support Joint Health with the Right Nutrients
Therapeutic amounts of certain nutrients can help arthritis. Researchers find that even when people with RA have sufficient antioxidant levels, for instance, those levels might not be enough to fight oxidative stress. Among the most-researched supplement to support joint health includes:
Turmeric is a natural root plant that is based out of India. Curcumin is the active ingredient which allows turmeric to act as an anti-inflammatory agent. Turmeric has been shown to have many benefits including helping with Arthritis inflammation.
An excellent article can be found here:
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