Joint pain and muscle pain is often caused by inflammation and damage on the affected joints and muscles. There are natural remedies for swollen and inflamed joints and it includes dietary changes. There are certain foods or food groups that are pro-inflammatory and increased consumption of these kinds will likely enhance the inflammation and contribute to further joint and muscle pain.
Here is the list of pro-inflammatory foods that you should avoid when you are already experiencing muscle and joint pain:
Sugar and Refined Grains
One of the most common joint pain facts is not to consume any products that contain sugar and refined grains. Sugar and sweetened products not only contributes to weight gain but also to inflammation. It is one of the most well-known pro-inflammatory food product that is needed to be avoided if you want to have healthy joints and muscles. Sugar also weakens the immune system. Refined grains on the other hand include flour, starch, pasta, biscuits, noodles, and other products containing processed grains. Since they are already refined, the nutrients and minerals are also reduced which is supposed to be helping fight off inflammation process. Sugar and refined grains also have a higher glycemic index which causes glucose levels in the blood to increase more rapidly. These then contribute to a series to diseases and other health conditions including joint degeneration.
Healthy alternatives for sugar are natural sweeteners like honey and molasses. Always opt for the unrefined grains because its nutrients are still intact.
Alcohol
Consumption of alcohol especially in excess will definitely result to various health problems. It also worsens inflammatory process in the body thereby worsening joint and muscle pain. Excessive intake of alcohol also damages the intestinal lining thereby disrupting the nutrient absorption capacity of the intestinal cells. It also hinders the body detoxification system by damaging the liver cells. Prolonged excessive intake of alcohol also weakens the immune system, damages the brain cells which are very important in maintaining all bodily functions.
For healthier alternatives, consume drinks that are high in antioxidants to protect the joint and muscle cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. Green tea is an example of a drink that is rich in antioxidants. Other options will be herbal ingredients that have potent anti-inflammatory properties like ginger, turmeric, and willow bark. The combination of ginger and turmeric makes a good combination for tea if you want to effectively reduce joint inflammation. On the other hand, dried willow bark contains salicin that is also a potent anti-inflammatory agent similar to the component of Aspirin. So rather than taking alcohol, you can make your own concoction using these healthy ingredients.
Refined Vegetable Oil
Even the healthy oils that we know like canola, corn, and soy oil still include trans-fatty acids that contribute to the inflammatory process in the body. We often obtain these fatty acids when we consume deep fried foods, fast food products, and other commercially prepared goodies. Consumption of foods that have been fried using refined vegetable oil also results to weight gain, increased levels of bad cholesterol in the blood, cardiac diseases, and joint inflammation.
Since it is almost impossible to find unrefined cooking oil, a healthier option is reducing consumption of fried foods especially those from fast foods since they mostly use cooking oil which is higher in trans-fatty acids and can further worsen the inflammation in the body.
Pasteurized Dairy
Milk and milk products are often pasteurized to kill the bacteria found in the cow’s milk. However, scientists have found out that this process also destroys important mineral and nutrients in the milk. Now, researchers have linked the consumption of processed dairy products will further contribute to the inflammation process. Thus, if you are already experiencing muscle and joint pain, then it is best to avoid pasteurized products to allow your body to heal naturally. These products include cheese, butter, and other processed dairy products that we can find in the supermarket.
Healthier options will be unsweetened yogurt that still contains healthy bacteria, protein and nutrients.
Processed Meats
Another famous joint pain fact is to avoid processed meats since they are considered a potent pro-inflammatory food product. Consumption of processed meats triggers an inflammatory response that can further damage your musculoskeletal system if you are already having joint and muscle pains. These food products are also known to be carcinogenic. Processed meats include anything that has been smoked, cured, and preserved using chemicals like ham, hotdog, sausages, pepperoni, and bacon.
Healthier options to consume would be home-made meat products. It is also advised to increase the amount of vegetables and fruits in your diet which are both rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties and other nutrients.
If we will list all the foods under the mentioned categories that we should avoid, it is possible that we will be left with very little options to choose from. While it is almost impossible to avoid all these food products, consuming them in lesser amounts will definitely help your inflamed joints and further improve your overall health. Moderation is always the key! However, during episodes of inflammation, it is best to avoid as many of these food products as you can.
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Article Bio:
Daisy Grace is a professional health and beauty consultant. She is passionate about health, fitness and beauty and skin care and has been working as a freelance content writer for many online websites. She loves to write about different issues related to women’s physical as well as health conditions. Recently, she is being researching on beauty and skin care problems.
