Diets to Help Joint Pain

Joint pain is the end product of injured connective tissue of the cartilage, bursae, bones and ligaments that surround the joints. Often times this damage was caused from an old sporting injury or trauma to a joint that might have taken place. Inflammatory conditions such as arthritis have a tendency to develop in these injured areas. Other than typical pharmaceutical medications, there is hope that joint pain can be reduced by simply changing the diet.

Function

The main function of a diet to reduce joint pain is to reduce inflammation and to help keep the integrity of the connective tissue surrounding the joints healthy and preserved.

Types

Certain foods are especially beneficial for joint health, including citrus fruits, strawberries, blueberries and anything containing Omega-3 fatty acids. This type of fat is actually good for the body. It can be found in fatty fish like salmon and mackerel or purchased in the form of an oil or capsule.

Time Frame

Ween out bad foods and replace them with healthier alternatives that are conducive to joint health. After your diet has been transformed, it generally takes about 14 days to see an improvement in pain levels.

Features

A joint healthy diet has some specific features. The first thing that should be taken into consideration is the addition of alkaline foods. Examples include celery, cucumbers, lemons, limes, baby spinach, kale, collards, avocados, salad greens and sprouts. Eating these foods will raise the body's pH level, which in turn helps reduce inflammation.
Another important aspect of a joint healthy diet is to avoid acidic foods as they leach minerals from the bones. Unfortunately, this is a big part of joint pain sufferer's diets. Some notable foods to avoid include coffee, refined carbs, alcohol, soda, cheese and deep fried foods.
Proper hydration is an important part of reducing joint inflammation. Water helps to flush impurities from the system and acts as a lubricant to make the joints more resilient.

Identification

A joint healthy diet should also consist of foods containing calcium and Vitamin C. Most people resort to common foods like milk, yogurt and cheese fro calcium, but there happen to be people who are allergic to these foods or are vegetarians. In either case, raw sesame seeds and baby spinach good sources of absorbable calcium
For those who are not big fans of citrus fruits and juices, Vitamin C can also be found in various vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts and red, green or yellow peppers.

Expert Insight

When changing the diet and eliminating foods that cause joint problems, a detoxifying effect often takes place. This is usually the sign of withdrawal symptoms that occur from being addicted to something such as a stimulant. A prime example of this would be the elimination of coffee. Headaches, sluggishness, nausea and muscle pains might occur. This usually only lasts about three days, then the body gets adjusted.