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Anti-inflammatory Foods for Arthritis and Joint Pain
ContributorNancy Oliveira, MS, RD, LDN, CDCES
Couple prepares salad and vegetables in kitchen. These types of anti-inflammatory foods can help reduce arthritis joint pain.
Joint pain typically develops due to arthritis or after a joint injury, and inflammation often plays a part. Damaged tissue can sometimes trigger longer-term swelling and painful inflammation. But joint pain is treatable, and eating the right diet may help, according to Nancy Oliveira, MS, RD, LDN, CDCES, a Mass General Brigham dietitian and manager of the nutrition and wellness service at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Oliveira discusses how the food you eat can impact inflammation and joint pain and the types of diets that may reduce inflammation
Inflammation and joint pain
“One thing that’s important to understand is that inflammation isn’t all bad,” says Oliveira. “It’s an essential part of your body’s natural defense system against viruses, bacteria, and allergens. If you have an injury, inflammation is your immune system’s way of protecting and healing the body.”
But when inflammation becomes long term (chronic) in areas of the body such as the joints, it can lead to constant tenderness and pain. Chronic joint pain may stem from one or both of these inflammatory conditions:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): This is an autoimmune condition where your immune system mistakenly attacks the tissues of your joints. This immune system response irritates the nerve cells in the joints, leading to pain.
- Osteoarthritis: This is a gradual, chronic condition that occurs when the cartilage that cushions your joints begins to wear down. Without cartilage, bones rub together, which can be very painful. Osteoarthritis is often part of the aging process and can also accelerate with the overuse of a joint or when you carry excess weight.
How diet impacts joint inflammation
“Many people are very interested in whether there are foods they can eat to reduce the inflammation in their bodies,” says Oliveira. “There’s research on specific foods and nutrients, but we’re discovering it’s not about eating single foods or nutrients. It’s more about your overall dietary pattern.”
She says that most of the foods that positively impact inflammation are plant foods. They contain nutrients and plant chemicals (phytochemicals) that appear to reduce inflammation, such as:
- Antioxidants are molecules that help protect cells from damage, including damage that happens in the aging process.
- Fiber is a type of carbohydrate. A high-fiber diet bolsters the beneficial bacteria in your gut and helps lower inflammation.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that help combat inflammatory compounds in your body.
- Polyphenols have antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory action that protect against chronic diseases.
Ideal diets for joint inflammation
Rather than focusing too much on specific foods, Oliveira recommends two plant-based diets as guides for getting a range of anti-inflammatory foods:
- The Mediterranean Diet is a way of eating that’s based on the traditional eating habits of people in the Mediterranean region, such as Italy, Greece, and Spain. It emphasizes eating more whole foods than ultra-processed foods that contain many additives.
- The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet is a nutrition plan designed to help heart health. It emphasizes nutrient-rich, whole foods that also lower inflammation.
Both of these diets not only reduce inflammation but also improve overall health and may extend longevity. They can also help with weight management and lowering the risk of many chronic diseases
Best anti-inflammatory foods for joint pain
The Mediterranean and DASH diets focus similarly on eating more plants, less red meat, and minimal ultra-processed foods and added sugars. Eating a variety of foods within these two diets can help with inflammation:
- Beans, legumes, fruits, and vegetables
- Green tea and coffee
- Herbs and spices
- Seafood as the preferred animal protein
- Poultry, eggs, and dairy (cheese or yogurt) consumed in small portions daily or a few times a week
- Healthy fat sources like nuts, seeds, oily fish, and avocados
- Whole, intact grains that are not processed into bread, pasta, or other products
Spinach salad, tomatoes, onions on counter. Vegetables can help with joint inflammation.
Foods to avoid
Certain foods may worsen inflammation, so Oliveira recommends minimizing:
- Fatty deli or lunch meats
- Fried foods
- Low-nutrient, highly processed foods
- Meats high in saturated fat
- Refined sugar
- White starchy foods such as white bread or white rice
She reports that allergies or food sensitivities can sometimes impact inflammation. Some people report less joint pain if they avoid gluten, dairy, or other specific foods. “However, food intolerances are very individual,” she says. “If you notice that certain foods seem to cause joint pain to flare up, you may try avoiding them for a time to see if you feel better.”
Keep the big picture in mind
Taking supplements of specific vitamins or nutrients might seem like a quick way to lower inflammation. But Oliveira says there’s no evidence that single nutrients in supplement form benefit inflammation, and because supplements are unregulated, they’re potentially unsafe. “The important thing to know is that nutrients don’t work in isolation,” she says. “Nutrition is a team effort between foods.”
It can feel overwhelming to think about changing how you eat, but you don’t have to make big changes all at once. Start by incorporating one new plant food a week. “Healing inflammation is a process, so give yourself time,” Oliveira says
When dealing with inflammation, it’s also important to look at your overall lifestyle. “Inflammation doesn’t just come from food,” says Oliveira. “Not getting enough physical activity or having too much stress can contribute, too. Poor sleep can also increase inflammation because your body goes through its repair cycles, cleaning out inflammatory components while you’re at rest.”
