Most of us have experienced pain in our elbows, wrists, low back, or even overall stiffness when we wake up in the morning.
It’s very common, but it’s absolutely not normal.
In this blog, I’m going to tell you the 11 top foods that you probably already have in your cupboard that you can eat to start lowering inflammation and get relief from joint pain.
1. Nuts
Most varieties of nuts are full of protein and other minerals like magnesium, zinc, calcium, and vitamin E.
They contain ALA (alpha lipoic acid), which is a crucial building block for producing new muscle fibers and cartilage inside of the body.
Nuts also lower inflammation, are great for supporting heart health, and can even help with weight loss.
Try eating things like almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pine nuts, flax seeds, and chia seeds.
Eat these in their raw form—they are fantastic for providing relief from joint issues.
2. Garlic
Garlic is known for its anti-inflammatory effects.
It contains a compound called disulphide that can protect against certain enzymes that are known to damage cartilage, especially in the knees, and human cells.
Garlic can help lower inflammation and protect your joints from deteriorating.
3. Beans
Beans are packed with fiber, which is vital for moving along your digestive system.
They make you feel more full and lower your blood sugar, which in turn is going to lower your inflammation.
Some bean varieties like red beans, kidney, and pinto beans contain extra-helpful vitamins and nutrients like magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, and folic acid.
These all can have benefits for your joints as well as your heart and immune system.
4. Citrus Fruit
These contain a lot of vitamins that boost the immune system, which is going to help out a lot with inflammation.
Vitamin C is often found in citrus fruits like limes, oranges, and grapefruit.
It’s really important for maintaining healthy joints, because vitamin C is a precursor to collagen.
While not a citrus fruit, blackberries are very helpful for joint health as well. If you’re dealing with diarrhea, it’s also a good remedy for that too.
Vitamin C is important because it’s a major antioxidant, which means it protects your body from free radical damage.
If you have bone-on-bone due to cartilage loss, or are worried about losing cartilage and collagen between the joints, vitamin C is crucial for that.
One of the easiest ways to get citrus fruits in is by putting some lemons or limes in your water.
5. Green Tea
You could substitute this for your coffee, because it’s packed with antioxidants called polyphenols.
Polyphenols reduce cartilage destruction and inflammation, and lessen the symptoms of various joint-related conditions and types of arthritis.
Some green tea varieties contain additional antioxidants that can also stop your body from producing the molecules that damage the joints.
If you have rheumatoid arthritis, try organic green tea to get it as clean as you can.
It’s a great source of antioxidants and polyphenols.
6. Broccoli
Other leafy greens are also good to have, but broccoli in particular is high in vitamin K and C, both of which are important for bolstering joint health.
Broccoli has sulforaphane, which is a compound that can stop or slow the progression of certain types of osteoarthritis.
Since broccoli is also particularly rich in calcium, you can eat it to help your bones.
That will protect your joints and bones over time.
7. Broth
Bone broth is really high in collagen, which repairs the joins and helps reduce inflammation.
It’s also very easy to make.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by getting bones from your meat market and putting them in water or broth.
You can add in some vegetables with it, and then you let it steep for a 24 hour period of time to get the collagen out of the bones.
This is very good for gut health, lowering inflammation, and helping out your joints.
8. Cherries
Cherries are well-known to reduce the severity and frequency of a gout flare-up, which means they also help reduce irritation in the joints.
There are minerals and compounds in cherries that have astounding soothing effects that can help lower the risk of various arthritis-related conditions.
9. Saturated Fats and Healthy Oils
Consuming extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil can help lower your cholesterol and provide anti-inflammatory benefits at the same time.
Plus, coconut oil is fantastic to rub on your skin around joints to stimulate blood flow to that joint.
10. Flax Seed
Flax seeds contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known for their anti-inflammatory properties.
Flax seeds are also great for rehydrating and repairing the skin.
Plus, they’re super easy to drop into a smoothie or mix in a cereal!
11. Fish
Many popular types of fish like salmon, sardines, herring, and tuna are packed with omega-3 fatty acids.
These fatty acids are one of the most well-researched ways to lower inflammation in your body.If you’re not a fish fan or you don’t find yourself eating herring, mackerel, or sardines very often, you can learn more about fish oil and how to get that into your diet here.
