Arthritis Dietary Recommendations

Beneficial for All Types of Joint & Muscle Discomforts

Perhaps the most important dietary recommendation for individuals suffering from osteoarthritis is that they achieve normal body weight. Being overweight means increased stress on weight-bearing joints.

Beyond that, it is critical that the diet be rich in fruits and vegetables because their natural plant compounds can protect against cellular damage, including damage to the joints. Foods especially beneficial for arthritis are flavonoid-rich fruits, such as cherries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries.

Also important are sulfur-containing foods, such as garlic, onions, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage. The sulfur content in fingernails of arthritis sufferers is lower than that of healthy subjects without arthritis.

Ginger contains anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly.

Although most scientific studies have used organic powdered ginger root, fresh ginger root at an equivalent dosage is believed to yield even better results because it contains active enzymes.

Most studies utilized 1 gram of powdered ginger root. This would be equivalent to approximately 10 grams or one-third of an ounce of fresh ginger root, roughly 1/4" inch slice.

Eat a low-carb diet, and incorporate foods that are high in omega-3 essential fatty acids. They are nature's anti-inflammatory that slow or even reverse your arthritis, depending on the type and the root cause of your condition.

Incorporate the following foods in your diet arthritis pain relief:

• Cold-water fish
• Vitamin D-rich foods (sunflower seeds, eggs, fish)
• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Olive oil (pure extra virgin), helps the body produce prostacyclin, a powerful anti-inflammatory substance
• Yogurt and kefir, probiotic, live bacteria culture that helps eradicate the toxin-producing bacteria found with arthritis

Other foods that are highly recommended for arthritis pain relief are alfalfa, asparagus, celery seed, wheat grass, barley grass, and pineapple (which contains bromelain). Fiber is necessary along with digestive enzymes that benefit the break down of foods.

Enriching Green Superfoods are a great tasting "greens drink", containing highly concentrated nutrition from plant sources. When you supplement your diet with our superfoods, your body receives nutrients that it requires to function properly and optimally. You'll see increased energy and vitality. And because superfoods are whole food nutrition, you will not later experience a drop in energy, as you would from sugar and caffeine.

Enzymes are the spark of life... a critical energy that runs your entire body. Without them, you couldn't digest or absorb food, all your cellular functioning would stop.

Energized water has had its molecules returned to their original life-giving, super moisturizing state. This allows maximum moisture absorption into the cells of your body, pets and plants; a major key to healing, and the maintenance of health and vitality.

Glucosamine and niacinamide: Both of these remedies have proven effective in studies, and are safe when taken as directed. 500 milligrams of glucosamine sulfate three times a day, and 1,000 milligrams of niacinamide three times a day, is a common dosage. You won't feel the effects of this for three to four weeks, so be patient. About 1 percent of people who take this dose will experience nausea - if you do, stop taking it immediately and the nausea should go away promptly.

There are some herbs that will provide relief, including: boswellia, white willow bark, and holy basil. These are all known to be natural cox-2 inhibitors.

Systemic cleansing of the body, including bowel, lymph, parasite, kidney and liver, will lead to significant improvement of symptoms and arthritis pain relief. Years of implementing such an approach with patients has proven time and time again that diligent attention to cleansing the entire body systems, one by one, is truly an integral piece for arthritis pain relief.

Foods To Avoid

People with arthritis may want to avoid foods from the nightshade family. These foods contain a substance (solanine) that interferes with enzymes in the muscles, and inhibits normal collagen repair in the joints, or promotes the inflammatory degeneration of the joint.

Nightshade plants include tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, mushrooms and tobacco. It appears that long-term, low-level consumption of these plants can worsen arthritis pain. Cayenne pepper is excluded from this "avoid list" as it has been shown to aid in arthritis pain relief when taken internally or applied as a poultice.

Although remaining to be proved, elimination of nightshade plants from the diet may offer relief for some people, and is certainly worth a try.

Diets high in saturated fats, meat, dairy, and omega-6 fatty acids are detrimental to a healthy immune system, and contribute to the development of arthritis. Omega-6 foods include animal products, refined vegetable oils and grains. Grains alone are being targeted as significant contributors to both systemic and isolated inflammatory responses, and the gluten in grains is identified also in dairy proteins.

Choosing alternative arthritis pain relief is as easy as changing your foods. This will not work for all arthritis sufferers, but it's worth trying it for three to four months, to see if dietary changes can bring relief for you.

Learn more about pain medications recommended by mainstream doctors