If you suffer from arthritis, you’ve certainly heard all about the latest wonder drugs and surgical procedures that can be used to “cure” you. But you’re not fooled, are you? We all know that the medical industry will never find the “silver bullet” for arthritis and other diseases of inflammation. The best that painkillers can do is temporarily mask your pain, while impeding your body from producing new cartilage in your aching joints. Surgeries are not the quick fix that they’re touted as, either; they’re accompanied by a host of potential complications, and they’re extremely expensive!
Sadly, what you don’t hear much about is the healing power of food. Here are five superfoods that will quell your arthritis pain better than you ever thought possible:
- Cherries and berries aren’t just sweet treats. They’re also loaded with natural pain-relievers and joint-healing substances. For one thing, they are Nature’s richest sources of anthocyanins, a group of antioxidants called flavonoids which possess exceptional anti-inflammatory properties. That’s why blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and cherries top the list of anti-arthritis fruits.
- If you need pain relief, look no further than the fish counter in your local supermarket. Certain varieties of fish – including wild salmon, scallops, sardines, and anchovies – possess natural compounds that halt inflammation, relieve pain, and actually encourage your joints to produce new cartilage.
- You can add flaxseeds to your new list of arthritis healing foods. They may be tiny, but their arthritis-fighting properties are impressive due to their rich supply of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), one of the omega-3 fatty acids that make cold-water fish such a powerful joint protector. Flaxseed, in fact, is the very best plant source of healing omega-3s. Just two tablespoons of ground flaxseed (also called flax meal) provides you with 140% of the daily recommendation for omega-3s.
- Yogurt’s been around for thousands of years, but science is just beginning to understand its remarkable healing properties. For instance, yogurt is a potent inflammation-fighter with well-documented curative effects for arthritis finger pain and stiffness. Yogurt’s beneficial bacteria not only reduce inflammation, they also strengthen the entire immune system. They even improve your body’s efficiency at absorbing essential nutrients, particularly calcium.
- Nibbling a brazil nut or two every day is also great for your arthritis. That’s because this chunky nut contains more of the trace mineral selenium than any other food. Selenium is especially important for people with arthritis because low levels of this potent antioxidant actually invite more damage to our joints. Eating selenium-rich foods also helps limit free radical damage, while helping to relieve arthritis symptoms.