Tag Archives: nutrition for arthritis

Fresh Vs. Frozen Fruit

Anti-inflammatory Fruits and Veggies — Fresh, Canned or Frozen?

There’s nothing quite like eating a handful of freshly picked blueberries on a warm summer day, each bite bursting with flavor and inflammation-fighting polyphenols, bone-building minerals and must-have vitamins. Surprisingly, you can get nearly the same nutrition from a bag of frozen blueberries.

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Arthritis-Friendly Foods

Add These Arthritis-friendly Foods to Your Diet

Want to eat right for your arthritis? Limit sugar, processed foods and saturated fat (the kind in red meat and butter). Get plenty of fruits, vegetables and lean protein (like fish, nuts, seeds and beans). And try adding more of these three arthritis-friendly foods to your diet. Each has anti-inflammatory properties, which may help squelch pain.

Sardines

Think beyond salmon if you want to reel in the anti-inflammatory benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. A 3-ounce serving of canned sardines contains about 1.4 grams of omega-3 fats and is a good source of vitamin D, which helps our bodies absorb calcium to build and maintain strong bones. To save calories, look for sardines packed in water instead of oil.

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Fish Oil for Arthritis

The Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Arthritis

You’ve probably heard of omega-3 fatty acids, especially if you have an inflammatory type of arthritis. They help reduce inflammation throughout the body, and some studies have shown benefits for heart health, brain function and diabetes.

There are two major types of omega-3 fatty acids in our diets. One type is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and the other type is eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The body partially converts ALA to EPA and DHA.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), fish oil (EPA and DHA) is the most commonly used dietary supplement in the United States. A study published in the Annals of Rheumatic Disease in 2013, found that when a high-dose fish oil supplement is added to so-called triple therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (methotrexate, sulfasalazine and hydroxychloroquine), patients achieved better outcomes: they were far less likely to “fail” treatment and twice as likely to reach remission than those who did not take a supplement.

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