Natural Pain Relief & Diets For Arthritis

Arthritis is one ailment that could paralyze your entire lifestyle. It  can  force you to become sedentary and you may have to depend on pain killer for momentary relief. Can eating the right food help arthritis? Researchers say that a diet that includes food that stops inflammation and promotes healing goes a long way in getting relief from arthritis.

A diet that helps to check the consequences or worsening of arthritis are foods that have anti-inflammatory properties and in some way also contribute in checking weight gain.

The first step towards creating a diet for arthritis relief is cutting down on the carbohydrate intake. Any food item that comprises of refined flour and sugar is to be avoided. Increased intake of proteins helps in arthritis relief.

Vegetables that are rich in antioxidants are anti inflammatory and hence one should include dark leafy lettuce which contains romaine and considered very good for arthritis and spinach, tomatoes, cucumber in the diet. Vegetables like Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts all are loaded with antioxidants and are great arthritis relief food.

Omega 3 fatty acid have very high anti inflammatory property and are amply found in cold water fish. Salmon is considered very rich in Omega 3 fatty acid and may be included in the diet of people afflicted with arthritis. Also, those who love to eat meat, may like to note that grass fed animals have more omega-3 fatty acid than those who are fed on other types of cattle feed.

The oil that we use for cooking, and dressing our food items also needs to be properly chosen. Olive oil has anti inflammatory properties as opposed to sunflower oil, corn oil or other polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

Among the fruits, Blueberries and cherries are rich in compounds that reduce inflammation.. Blueberries are also considered very good for arresting the aging of the brain. Cherries when consumed regularly, greatly reduces inflammation and helps in arthritis.

The popular Asian spice, Turmeric has many health benefits. This spice contains strong anti inflammatory natural compound. It is consumed cooked and raw to get relief from inflammation and arthritis related problems. It is also used on wounds and burns because of its strong antiseptic properties. It is also considered that the intake in turmeric helps in reducing the chances of getting cancer.

If you have arthritis and you are looking forward to help yourself by cleaning up your diet, you also need to look at foods and ingredients in foods that could trigger allergy. As allergy triggering food worsen the symptoms of arthritis, you need to understand that your diet to help arthritis should also take into account the allergy inducing food items and should be invariably avoided from your diet chart.

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Researchers say that those sensitive to allergy could be sensitive to 3,000 chemical additives commonly found in processed and canned food. Also, compounding the problem is the factor that there are about 10.000 environmental chemical contaminants that could trigger allergy and worsen arthritis.

There are tests that could suggest the food items that you need to eliminate from your diet. The most common food items that are often eliminated from the diet chart are beef, pork, eggs, citrus fruits, potatoes, tomatoes, wheat, yeast, coffee, chocolate and chemical additives. Chemical additives that are present in almost all packaged food items are causing great harm to our body as we continue ingesting them day in and day out. Hence, it is extremely important that you read the label on the food item with great sincerity before including the same in your food basket. Please remember that by eating or allowing other members of the family to  eat food items that are loaded with chemical additives you are putting your and other’s life at jeopardy.

MSG or Mono Sodium Glutamate is a horrific chemical, used as a flavor enhancer and present in almost every food item found that is bottled, canned and ready to use packaged food. MSG not only triggers allergy in individuals but also have been proven to cause developmental problems of the brain. It could also lead to behavioral problems and learning disabilities in children. Therefore this is an item that is not only to be avoided for arthritis bit also for children whose brains are developing.

Foods from the Solanacea family, also commonly called the Nightshade family are commonly found in the list of food items that need to be eliminated from the diet chart for those who are allergy prone. This family includes fruits, vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, pepper etc. Almost one third of people afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis are allergic to these food items. Tobbacco or nicotiana is also a member of this family . Quitting smoking, therefore, helps arresting arthritis.

If the digestive process is not smooth, it could trigger the symptoms of arthritis. If you are above forty and have digestion related problems as well, it is suggested that you take some digestive enzyme. The lack of Hydrochloric acid and the digestive enzymes in the stomach impairs the breaking of food into smallest of particles. Sometimes relatively large molecules end up in the blood stream and the defensive mechanism of the body creates allergic response to these molecules leading to symptoms of arthritis. Hence, taking digestive enzymes with doctor’s consultation is a good measure to check allergy and arthritis.

All the above food items mentioned above help in arresting inflammation which in turn is suggested to cause relief in arthritis. It is important to eat variety of foods, avoid fat and cholesterol, limit the consumption of sugar, eat food with starch, and consume fibrous food to help arthritis. This will also help in maintaining ideal weight. It is also important to consume less sodium, in other words limit the consumption of salt which aggravates the problem owing to its water retention properties should be kept to bare minimum. Also, alcohol should be taken in moderation. A good diet which takes into account the facts listed above greatly helps people with arthritis to address their problem to a large extent without medical intervention.