Easing Arthritis Part 6

Lastly in this series on easing arthritis is to supplement if necessary. There are some supplements that arthritis sufferers find really helpful. Of course these are things that decrease inflammation. So first on your list should be a good omega 3 supplement. While this has many beneficial effects, the most powerful is the anti-inflammatory effect.

Some other foods that will be helpful are ginger. This is a food which has been used in India for centuries to alleviate arthritis pain.

Most people have heard of glucosamine and chondroitin. the active ingredient is glucosamine and has shown to be the most effective. However, I have some patient's who swear that if they do not take it with chondroitin it does not work as well. I won't argue with what works!

Inflammation and Food

To reduce inflammation, eat more of the omega 3 fatty acids. Foods rich in omega 3 are fish particularly deep sea fish, flaxseed, dark green leafy vegetables, olive oil, and brightly colored fruits.

Arthritis was not as big an issue in prehistoric times because they ate more plants and fruit and meat tended to be less of their food source. They did not have the processed sugars and saturated fats so they were eating far less of the omega 6 than we do.

Supplementing is good, particularly if you are not going to eat the good foods. If you can just cut down on the bad foods it will help, but if you're not going to eat the good foods, then supplement. Supplements that are helpful include glucosamine, ginger, and chondroiton sulfate. There is controversy about chondroiton as to whether it really has any active component to help. If you try and it helps, then use it, because it is doing something for you.

The Last 2 Components of the Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Here are the last two components of the anti-inflammatory diet. Use anti-inflammatory herbs such as ginger and turmeric. I have written about ginger on October 23, 2008. I talked about anti-inflammatories on November 22, 2008 and mention the effects of turmeric.

The last thing mentioned in the anti-inflammatory diet is to consider taking grape seed extract. This herbal contains polyphenols which are potent antioxidants. In addition, grape seed extract is potent anti-inflammatory.

Now you have the one of the anti-inflammatory diets. Let just say that this is not the only one, just one that I ran across in my reading and thought I would share with you.

Question on Reducing Inflammation

Thank you Laurie for your question about reducing inflammation and what to use. The very best thing to reduce inflammation is Omega 3 and you can find more about this from my previous blog entry in October.

I also mentioned a couple of other herbs that are helpful in reducing inflammation. These are not as commonly found in supplement form, but you can certainly incorporate them into your daily diet. One is ginger and the other one is curry

In early October I mentioned a product that I have been using for almost a year called MMS. You can learn more about this product at my site, or you can email me for more information.

Ginger and Inflammation

Ginger has been around for a long time and has been used for multiple medical problems. Most people are familiar with using ginger to alleviate nausea and gastrointestinal upsets. It definitely helps with gas, diarrhea and stomach cramping.

What you may not know is that ginger has also been used to decrease inflammation especially in arthritis. Fresh ginger is best, but you can use ground ginger. Use some caution in not taking too much ginger. A little goes a long way.