Overview Of An Arthritis Diet Plan

Arthritis is a disease condition that affects the joints mainly causing inflammation that eventually results in pain and swelling. At advanced stages, arthritis can lead to disability, which points out to the great need to adopt measures that help tone down the signs and symptoms of arthritis. Apparently, an arthritis diet plan has been the most effective way of fighting arthritis since it has no cure, and use of drugs often yields undesirable side effects when used over an extended period.

Major Types of Arthritis

Before learning the types of foods you should eat, it is worth understanding the type of arthritis that you are suffering from. At a glance, there are five types of arthritis namely:

- Osteoarthritis - This is a type of arthritis that results from breakdown of cartilages at the joints to an extent that the bones come into contact and glide against each other.

- Rheumatoid Arthritis - This is a type of arthritis that is caused by autoimmune response in the body.

- Gouty Arthritis - A type of arthritis that results from accumulation of uric acid at the joints.

- Psoriatic Arthritis - A type of arthritis that is associated with Psoriasis, a certain type skin inflammation.

- Juvenile Arthritis - Commonly associated with individuals of the age of 16 years and often associated with autoimmune response due to interaction of genes and foods, toxins, or allergic reactions.

Of all these types of arthritis, inflammation is the main manifestation of the disease and causes intense pain, swelling and reddening at the joints. To ease this pain, to reduce swelling and to boost flexibility at the joints, adoption of an arthritis diet plan becomes quite vital.

Types of Foods to Include in an Arthritis Diet Plan

Some of the foods that you should include in your arthritis diet plan are:

- Foods with omega 3 fatty acids - Omega 3 fatty acids impose an anti inflammatory effect in the body through interaction with various types of bio-molecules in the body, which significantly reduces inflammation at the joints. Various fish varieties are rich in omega 3 fatty acids including salmon, sardines, mackerel, and herring. Other sources of omega 3 include walnuts, soybeans, chia seeds, and flax-seeds.

- Whole Grain Foods - Whole grain foods such as barley, whole wheat, brown rice and oat decreases the amount of C - reactive protein (CRP) in circulation, which is one of the key inflammatory response markers.

- Brightly colored fruits and vegetables - Most of the brightly colored fruits contain flavonoids and carotenoids, which are well known for their antioxidants capabilities. They help tone down inflammation and thus such fruits should always be part of an arthritis diet plan. Some of these fruits include tomatoes, blackberries, strawberries, watermelon, oranges, and carrots among others.

- Olive Oil - Olive oil contains high levels of mono-saturated acids and oleocanthal, both of which help reduce the amount of inflammatory enzymes in circulation. This eventually tones down inflammation at the joints when used by any individual suffering from arthritis.

- Green tea and coffee - When looking for drinks to incorporate in your arthritis diet plan, green tea and coffee drinks are the top two drinks that have eminent antioxidant components that also impose an anti inflammatory effect in the body.