5 Foods to Naturally Fight Inflammation
- Sep 6, 2013
- Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
It's fairly common to experience some type of inflammation in some part of your body on a fairly regular basis, even if you don't realize it, such as what happens during exercise. As it turns out, there are some natural remedies for helping this inflammation, and it may just take some small tweaks in your diet!Turmeric
A conversation about inflammation wouldn’t be complete without including turmeric.
Turmeric is the bright, yellow-orange colored powder commonly used in curry dishes. It contains a very powerful substance called curcumin, responsible for the anti-inflammatory properties turmeric is studied for. Research shows curcumin contains more than two dozen anti-inflammatory compounds (1). Curcumin supports healthy, normal inflammatory levels by lowering histamine levels and possibly by increasing production of natural cortisone by the adrenal glands (2).
Boswellia
The resin from the bark of the boswellia tree contains anti-inflammatory properties and has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine for reducing inflammation. Believe it or not, boswellia serrata’s anti-inflammatory properties have been compared to those of the NSAIDs used by many for inflammatory conditions (3). How does boswellia serrata work as an anti-inflammatory? It inhibits leukotrienes, which are pro-inflammatory in the body. How does it inhibit leukotrienes? By inhibiting 5-lipoxygenase, the key enzyme of leukotriene production. Animal studies and pilot clinical trials support the potential treatment of a variety of inflammatory diseases like inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and asthma by using boswellia serrata’s gum resin extract (4). To read more about Boswellia, go here.
Ginger
It turns out ginger has many of the same anti-inflammatory and pain reduction benefits as curcumin; however, ginger affects the body in different ways. Another cool thing is the two don’t duplicate each other’s benefits, but in fact complement them.
In two different clinical studies, physicians found that 75% of patients with joint pain and 100% of patients with muscle pain experienced significant relief from pain and swelling after taking ginger.
Pineapple
Pineapple helps with joint pain? Yes! Bromelain is potentially effective for treating osteoarthritis pain, particularly when used in combination with trypsin and rutin. This combination seems to be about as effective as a medication called diclofenac for relieving pain and improving knee function.
Bromelain is not a licensed medical product and is freely available to the general public in health food stores and pharmacies in the USA and Europe.
How does bromelain reduce joint pain? The suggested mechanism for how bromelain reduces inflammation is quite complex. Here it goes: bromelain increases serum fibrinolytic activity, reducing plasma fibrinogen levels and decreasing bradykinin levels (which results in reduced vascular permeability) and hence reducing edema and pain; by decreasing levels of PGE2 and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) (5).
Cherries! YUM!
Fun Fact: 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of cherry juice concentrate contains all the goodness of about 100 cherries!
Anthocyanins are antioxidants that give fruits, leaves, flowers, stems and roots their rich and deep red, purple and blue color. Anthocyanins in both sweet (ie: Bing) and sour cherries have been found to inhibit enzymes involved in the creation of pain sensations in the body, thus acting as pain relievers with possible application in arthritis and gout pain.
According to researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, “Tart cherry juice may be a safer way to treat muscle pain and inflammation than over-the-counter pain relievers.” Dried or fresh, it doesn’t matter (6).
In Health and Happiness,
Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods
References:
1. National Products Foundation: Turmeric.
2. Arora RB, Basu N, Kapoor V, Jain AP. Anti-inflammatory studies on Curcuma longa (turmeric). Ind J Med Res 1971;59:1289–95.
3. Safayhi H, Mack T, Saieraj J, et al. Boswellic acids: novel, specific, nonredox inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1992;261:1143–6.
4. National Products Foundation: Boswellia.
5. Brien S, Lewith G, Walker A, Hicks SM, Middleton D. Bromelain as a treatment for osteoarthritis: a review of clinical studies. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2004; 1: 251-257.
6. Mulabagal V, Lang GA, Dewitt DL, Dalavoy SS, Nair MG. Anthocyanin content, Lipid Peroxidation and Cyclooxygenase Enzyme Inhibitory Activities of Sweet and Sour Cherries. J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Jan 30.