2 Anti-Inflammatory Foods for Joint and Muscle Pain : RiskAverse

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2 Foods to Help With Joint and Muscle Pain

Everybody feels it, but nobody likes it. There is nothing more painful than pain itself. Dealing with pain throughout your day can be extremely draining, which can drag you down and distract you from your tasks on hand. Over the counter medicine like Advil is great when used sporadically, but regular use can have detrimental effects to areas of your body like the gut and heart. (1) The foods listed below promote health benefits and have been shown to alleviate symptoms of chronic pain and muscle soreness.

Cherries

Cherries, specifically the red tart variety, have the highest known anti-inflammatory content of any food on the planet. (2) They are linked to reduced instances of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, but for the sake of this post, are also used as an effective strategy for pain relief. Specifically, there are two kinds that are associated with muscle soreness and recovery after a workout. Also, they prevent joint pain and aches associated with arthritis, gout, and chronic pain.

Cherries reduce inflammation and damage associated with exercise which may lead to improve recovery time after a workout. This benefit is believed to be strongly associated with the powerful phytochemicals known as anthocyanins, that give cherries their bright red color. (3)

Turmeric

Turmeric is another food touted for its powerful health benefits. Many of those benefits stem from its potent anti-inflammatory effects. Joint and bone conditions like osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) have been shown to be correlated to increased inflammation. (5) Consuming turmeric has been shown to reduce inflammatory factors and reduce symptoms associated with arthritis, which affects nearly 1 in 4 American Adults. (6)

The amazing benefits of turmeric are mainly due to the compound curcumin. Curcumin has also been shown to help with muscle recovery and reduce perception of muscle soreness. (7) It is important to note that when consumed alone, curcumin is barely absorbed. The solution is to couple your turmeric intake with black pepper. Black pepper contains a phytochemical called piperine which increases the bioavailability (amount absorbed) of curcumin by 2,000%.

Bottom Line

These foods have great benefits for the musculoskeletal system for people of all ages. Whether it’s day-to-day joint pain or improved muscle recovery to get you back in the gym, you can look to these to try and find relief!