Top 4 Foods that Help Fight Inflammation

When you suffer from chronic pain you try anything you can to find relief. A sensible approach is typically to consult with expert physicians to discover the source of your pain, and for that a top pain management center is the place to go. In addition, it is especially important to stick to a healthy diet. Pain is exacerbated in part by obesity and maintaining a healthy weight and an active lifestyle is universally beneficial. You may find it surprising that some foods you eat actually help relieve pain through anti-inflammatory properties.

Ginger

Ginger is a root that originated in China and is a staple in Asian dishes, such as stir-fry, soups, and Indian curries. It is also used as flavoring for gingerbread cookies, and most people are familiar with using ginger powder for baking. Fresh ginger is a savory addition to meats and vegetables that has been used for thousands of years to treat anything from a cold to nausea, migraines and hypertension. Recently, studies have identified two key compounds in ginger – gingerol and shogaol (found in cooked and dried ginger)- that are the responsible for the root’s therapeutic anti-inflammatory properties.

Coffee

Who would have guessed that something so many enjoy every morning can actually help reduce pain? Well, it is one of the main sources of caffeine, which if you have read the ingredients list of many over-the-counter painkillers you would notice is an ingredient there as well. Caffeine works to reduce inflammation and, when used in conjunction with ibuprofen or acetaminophen, can actually boost the ability of the other painkillers to alleviate pain faster. This is why some pain relievers actually employ a combination of these ingredients to be more effective.

Turmeric

Another delicious spice and antioxidant, turmeric (or curcumin) is what gives curry and other Indian foods their rich marigold hue. It works well with ginger when spicing up culinary delights, and is believed also to carry anti-inflammatory properties, which may help to relieve joint pain and reduce the stiffness many people experience who suffer from arthritis.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is extremely popular for a variety of reasons. It is a healthier alternative to other cooking oils because most of its fat content is monounsaturated and contains omega-9 fatty acid in the form of oleic acid. Overall it contains very few calories for an oil and is rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant. They are a large class of chemical compounds found in plants. In the foods they are found they add bite, or astringency, like in red wine. Antioxidants that are polyphenols tend to carry anti-inflammatory benefits. Olive oil is unique in that it contains these properties despite the fact that it is an oil, as most plant oils are nearly 100% fat with no discernible nutritional benefits.

Including the above nutrients in your diet for a period of time may help you alleviate your pain in conjunction with regular visits to your physician. At Garden State Pain Control we pride ourselves on our board-certified pain management doctors, who help thousands of pain patients like you. Book an appointment today in one of our New Jersey clinics.