The Ultimate Anti-Inflammatory Diet to Protect Your Joints as You Age

Your joints, also referred to as articulations and composed of bones, muscles, ligaments, cartilage, and tendons, come in three main types (synovial, fibrous, and cartilaginous) and play a primary role in how you move your entire body. You have over 200 joints in your body, and bending, walking, twisting, and every other form of movement is possible because of them.

When the bone and tissue in the joints become inflamed, the result can be pain and limited movement. This happens for several reasons, and while many medical treatments can manage it, dietary changes can also help joints. Let’s explore the types of joint inflammation, why it happens, the signs to expect, and how your diet can help reduce its impact.

If you live in the Fort Worth, Texas, area and need help with joint inflammation or other musculoskeletal issues, Dr. Joseph Daniels and the team at Southwest Orthopedic Associates are here to offer solutions.

Types of joint inflammation

When a part of your body becomes injured, ill, or irritated, inflammation is a common byproduct caused by your immune system:

Joint injury

Damage to any part of a joint will cause inflammation, such as swelling, but depending on where the injury is, it may affect multiple joints at once, such as in your hands and feet. This helps deliver white blood cells and nutrients to support healing, but excessive inflammation actually slows the process.

Joint illness

Inflammatory arthritis affects joints more often than other illnesses, and many types of this condition can cause symptoms and limit movement, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and systemic sclerosis. This can happen when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue or when there is an infection in the joint.

Symptoms to look for

Swelling is an obvious sign of inflammation in joints; however, other symptoms are also common, including pain, redness, warmth in the affected area, joint stiffness, and reduced range of motion. How much of each symptom is present will vary by the joint affected and the type of condition causing it.

The cause can also determine whether inflammation is likely to be present in multiple joints, as in systemic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, whereas degenerative damage to joints is more common in osteoarthritis, which is typically confined to the affected area.

Dietary tips to improve joint health

To maintain good health in joints as you get older and prevent problems in them, several dietary changes can be useful, including:

• Fermented foods: probiotic bacteria and fungi can help your immune system

• Fish: contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have many anti-inflammatory properties

• Fruits and vegetables: rich in things like beta-carotene, flavonoids, and chlorophyll to counter free radicals

• Green tea: the epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) found in this tea helps with inflammation

• Healthy oils: unsaturated fats found in plant oils help fight inflammation

• Legumes: beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils have plenty of antioxidants

• Nuts and seeds: a plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids that help the immune system

• Low-fat dairy: this provides calcium, vitamin D, and helps reduce joint pain

Other treatments may be necessary to manage your joint issues, but adding these and other anti-inflammatory foods to your diet can also help lower the symptoms. To find out which of these best suits your needs and determine the best overall care for your joints, make an appointment with Dr. Daniels and the team at Southwest Orthopedic Associates today.