The Role of Nutrition in Knee Pain Management

The goal of an anti-inflammatory diet is to reduce the negative effects of chronic inflammation throughout your body, including your joints. 

The role of good nutrition for knee pain management is a pivotal one, and certain food groups and nutrients are found to be more effective in alleviating knee pain to a greater extent if consumed regularly.

People who suffer from knee pain due to Osteoarthritis (OA) or Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) must necessarily consume a healthy and nutrient-rich diet to get rid of the nagging pain they suffer in their knee joints, which is caused by chronic inflammation in the body, and which may prevent them from carrying out their day-to-day activities in a free manner.

Chronic inflammation may lead to damaging effects on the body including the knee joints.

 The inflamed joints become uncomfortable and painful due to cartilage breakdown, and an effective knee-pain diet integrated into a daily eating plan can go a long way to help ease the pain effectively. 

Anti-inflammatory food items, a natural way to ease knee pain?

Let us talk of anti-inflammatory foods for knee pain that top the table.

According to Orthopedic experts, the goal of an anti-inflammatory diet is to reduce the negative effects of chronic inflammation throughout your body, including your joints. 

It is important to add more food items that fight inflammation in the body, and carefully avoid foods that may aggravate the condition.

An anti-inflammatory diet, when consumed for the long term, will lead to reaping good results.  According to medical experts, the beneficial effects of the anti-inflammatory food items are such that they may also delay the need for joint replacement surgery.

Eating omega-3-rich fish helps

According to science, fish is a top anti-inflammatory food, and fish varieties including tuna, sardines, and mackerel have abundant omega-3 fatty acids, and eating these fish varieties would surely help ease joint pain. Thus, eating fish is a must on the menu of people (for non-vegetarians) who suffer from joint pain due to Osteoarthritis and Rheumatic arthritis. 

Eating fish can reduce levels of harmful proteins including C-reactive protein (CRP), which may cause body-wide inflammation causing inflammatory diseases including chronic joint pain.

Eating a 3-to-6-ounce serving of fish at least four times a week is recommended for best outcomes. 

 “Arthritis Foundation” has flagged eating fish as an effective nutritional intervention, and those who eat fish regularly are found to be less likely to develop OA and RA in the long run.

Fruits, veggies and nuts

Anti-inflammatory food items also include fiber-rich vegetables, colorful fruits, spices such as turmeric and ginger, and nuts including almonds and walnuts, and green tea. These diets for joint health should be incorporated into the daily diet plan may help people to lead a pain-free life.

Vitamin C- rich vegetables and fruits are considered a panacea for joint pain relief

Fruits and vegetables are God’s gift to mankind. Vitamin-C-rich fruits such as apples, oranges and lemons help in joint pain relief. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage contain sulforaphane, a compound that may help joint pain relief say experts. 

Whole grains and fiber might help, too!

It is found that people with OA suffering from joint pain might immensely get benefited by adding whole grains to their diet, as it would check the high cholesterol levels and help them shed the extra weight.

American Heart Association, recommend consuming whole grains and other forms of dietary fiber as they appear to improve blood cholesterol levels for patients suffering from joint pain.

Fiber also helps a person to feel full for longer, and this can help in maintaining a healthy weight, which is vital in managing knee pain.

Antioxidant- rich berries

Berries such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries should be eaten for their high antioxidant content. Fresh red and black grapes contain resveratrol and soy products contain isoflavones that may help in managing knee pain.

Add Olive oil to your diet

Extra virgin olive oil contains oleocanthal, a compound, which is a natural anti-inflammatory agent that has properties similar to the drug ibuprofen say researchers. This may help in reducing knee pain.

Turmeric

Turmeric has long been used in herbal and traditional medicine, and this staple of Indian household is found to be effective in the reduction of pain and other symptoms of knee pain.

Watermelon and hydration

Watermelon is naturally high in carotenoid, a compound that can help reduce the risk of RA.

As watermelon contains a lot of water, it is useful for hydration, and it can reduce inflammatory markers such as CRP levels.

Vitamin C is a winner

It is recommended to include peppers, oranges, and green, leafy vegetables which are good sources of vitamin C.

These things are known to protect the cartilage cells in the knee, thus giving a protective layer to painful knees.

A dietician may help in designing the daily menu, by incorporating all these beneficial nutrient-rich food items for those affected by knee pain due to inflammatory diseases.