Make a habit of these foods to get rid of joint pain and knee pain

Knee pain caused due to tear wear of cartilage is a common problem now. Earlier knee pain and joint pain mostly affected old people. But it’s not the case of now. Now youngsters and mid-ages are also affected with the same. With the lack of proper exercise, physical movements and obesity, such problems have seen a steep high in the recent times. When it comes to women who stand long hours at kitchen or working people at factories, salesperson etc, knee pain increases manifold.

Many of us have tried with medicines and other methods to get rid of them. Through proper food habits too, we can bring some sort of solutions to such issues. Certain food items have ingredients which benefits those suffering from joint pain and related issues. They can lessen pain also. Through this column, I shall deal with a few of them.

How joint pain and knee pain happen?

Bones and muscles support our body weight. As age passes by, our bones and muscles become weaker. As our legs support body weight most, knees are affected first. They are prone to tear and wear easily, leading to pain. Apart from excess body weight and prolonged standing hours, hormonal variation and menopause can also increase discomforts related to knee pain and back pain.

Two bones join at a juncture called joint, and their tip portions are covered with cartilage. There is a small gap between the joints and cartilage acts like a bed or soft cushion, and helps in free movement of joints. It also acts as a shock absorber and equally divides pressure in the bone caused by any external factor. It also prevents the bone ends from colliding and causing injuries. As time passes by, the gap between the bones reduces giving rise to problems including pain, swelling etc.

Reduce body weight. Adopt healthy food habits and give importance to exercises. A combination of these three factors improves your health and longevity. If you choose food items which can increase bone density, strengthen connective tissues and reduce inflammation, you can control knee and joint pain to some extent. Proper exercises along with good food give better results. It’s not at all easy to adopt all these factors so sudden into your life style. Bring small changes first and see the differences. Slowly you can go for big changes.

Omega-3 fatty acids/Fish oil

Omega-3 fatty acid is one among the essential fats needed for our body. It reduces proinflammatory proteins in human endothelial cells. It improves functioning of brain, and reduces the chances of diabetics, heart diseases etc. Fish especially small types such as mackerel, sardine etc are abundant in this fatty acid, and should be a part of our healthy diet. If you are a vegetarian, you can substitute fish with flax seeds, organic soya bean etc.

Pulses which include beans, lentils, chickpeas and split peas

Beans and different types of lentils/dals are widely known for their health benefits. Proteins, minerals and fiber are some of the essential health components present in this food group. They also include the health benefits of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidants. Chickpeas, dal, dark coloured lentils, white beans, soya bean etc are abundant in anthocyanin, which can reduce swelling.  

Tubers which include potato, onions, turmeric etc

Ginger, potato, turmeric, different types of onions etc can be included in your diet to reduce joint pain. Such root vegetables can also reduce the symptoms of joint pain and related diseases.

Food items with Vitamin-C content

Vitamin C helps to build collagen and connective tissue. Some of the tasty food items can provide you this component. For instance, red coloured (well-ripen) black pepper, citrus fruits, broccoli, strawberry, kale, cabbage etc. 75 milligram for woman and 90 milligram for men are recommended. Fruits like kiwi, orange, mango, papaya and grapes can lessen knee pain, as they are abundant in Vitamin C.

Berries

Berries of different types such as blackberry, blueberry, raspberry and strawberry contain a lot of nutritious supplements including anthocyanin and anti-oxidants which can fight swellings. A type of anti-oxidant, Ellagic acid which can reduce inflammation and swelling is also present in berries.

A few more important points to add

Sport injuries and back pain definitely need advance examination and treatment from a doctor. Though certain healthy food items contain ingredients to reduce knee and joint pain, ‘food only’ principle cannot completely erase the pain. You need to combine good food habits with proper exercises and instructions from doctor to get better effects. Bring suitable changes to life style also, to keep such distances at bay.

As I am not a physician, I would definitely suggest you to take advice from a doctor before changing your regular food habits, based on this column. Just keep this article as a reference for knowledge, not for treatment. Also age is an important factor, and food habit is connected to a person’s age and other disease conditions.

Image source: Pixabay

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