10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods To Add To Your Diet

Inflamed joints are a common problem for quite a lot of people, and can inflict a lot of pain on individuals through assorted ailments like arthritis.

However, people can alleviate a lot of the symptoms of inflammation by having a carefully selected diet, rich in foods that build joints and ease inflammation.

What are the best anti-inflammatory foods, and what can they do for your body?

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To help you on the way to a pain-free future, here are the top 10 foods that help battle inflammation:

1. Sweet potato

The root vegetable contains a multitude of beneficial compounds and minerals such as Vitamin B6 and C, which allows them to soothe the muscles and stop inflammation at least partially.

2. Green tea

Green tea is well-renowned for being rich in anti-oxidants, which can help to fight off threats against the body. They also stop joints from being inflamed by helping them build collagen, which is linked to the cartilage, the building block of joints.

Also, green tea leaf extract has many health benefits as it is actually known as consuming negative calories, thus you actually burn more calories than you take in when you drink it.

3. Garlic

This is a food which is not completely founded by research as being a specific anti-inflammatory, but it has been proven in some ways to be beneficial to building joints. Furthermore, it can speed up the metabolism and help regulate the body.

4. Ginger

Another food that can reduce inflammation, ginger can also help regulate things in the body. Furthermore, its principle benefit is that it keeps the immune system in check, fighting off any harmful invaders which can cause joint pain.

5. Turmeric

This pungent spice's fairly lofty position on this list is justified as it contains a powerful anti-inflammatory compound curcumin. This can really help soothe the pain which is caused by inflammation and significantly reduce swelling.

In a similar vein to garlic, it is a wonderful fat-burning spice as it speeds up the metabolism, so calories are burnt at an enhanced rate. Furthermore, this will put less pressure on joints as there is less fat to deal with. Turmeric is often found in curries and Asian-themed dishes.

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6. Blueberries

This brightly colored and highly appetizing superfood is really useful in reducing anti-inflammation, due to the numerous anti-oxidants it contains. It has several other health benefits too: it is rich in minerals and vitamins, and very low in calories.

It has also been proven to increase the longevity of the brain and slow the onset of aging.

7. Green leafy vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables like kale and broccoli have significant applications in stopping inflammation, due to the several anti-oxidants which pervade their structure. They also have a lot of protein in them, consequently having some amino acids inside them as well.

These help to build joints and do bind them together through the protein they contain. Again, the recurrent theme is that these foods are extraordinarily healthy and unusually low in calories!

8. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The staple of Italian cuisine, this contains a lot of the "right" type of fats, which help to combat the effects of inflammation. The long and illustrious lives of the Mediterranean people are also apparently due to this oil, which also protects the heart and the blood vessels.

9. Kelp

Kelp, otherwise known informally as a type of seaweed, is a well-renowned anti-inflammatory. It is very high in fiber, which regulates the digestive system, getting rid of extra waste and making the immune system more hardy.

It also affects the liver to some degree, dousing inflammation. This food also has anti-cancer properties and is low in calories.

10. Wild salmon

Salmon in its wild variety, rather than its tinned counterpart, is rich in Omega 3s. This make salmon very useful indeed for fighting inflammation. It lubricates and strengthens joints, keeping them supple and in good shape.

As well as the ten foods covered, there are numerous other anti-inflammatory-foods which can help protect against inflammation, the majority of which contain a great deal of protein and other anti-oxidants to help curb flaring of joints.

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Donna Begg is an expert editor, a mentor, analyst, and researcher.