If you suffer from arthritis, you can certainly find some relief by taking anti-inflammatory medication. What you eat and drink day after day can also help you prevent and relieve arthritic pain.
Visiting a chiropractic clinic is essential for alleviating arthritis symptoms. In addition, a healthy and balanced diet containing a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables is good for our overall health. But what drinks are good for arthritis, specifically?
Here are the seven best drinks for arthritis:
1. Water
By now, you certainly know you should try drinking at least eight glasses of water daily. But did you know that keeping your body well-hydrated can help you fight arthritis?
Water helps your body flush out toxins, which is necessary when your goal is to fight inflammation. Drinking water will also keep your joints well lubricated, which should help prevent arthritis attacks.
Water has many benefits to your health, and depending on where you live, and you can probably drink it for free. So go ahead and drink more water. It will help relieve your arthritic pain.
2. Fresh fruit and vegetable juice
Try fresh fruit or vegetable juice whenever you are in the mood for something tastier than water. Many fruits and veggies contain plenty of vitamin C. This antioxidant fights the free radicals that cause inflammation, helping you prevent arthritic pain.
For added benefits, be sure to choose fresh juice that contains no added sugars. You could even get a juicer and prepare your fruit and vegetable juices, as it doesn’t get fresher than that.
The following are good for arthritis:
- Orange juice
- Apple juice
- Pomegranate juice
- Pineapple juice
- Tart cherry juice
- Berry juice
- Tomato juice
- Carrot juice
Avoid drinking grapefruit juice if you are taking medication. Although citrus fruits help decrease inflammation, grapefruit can interfere with some medications.
3. Smoothies
When it comes to drinks that are good for arthritis, it’s impossible to ignore smoothies. They are even better for your health than juices since they contain all the nutrients and the fibre of the fruits and vegetables you are using to prepare them.
You can find many delicious smoothie recipes online, but you can also create your own. If you need some inspiration, try the following:
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Kiwi
- Bananas
- Pumpkin
- Papaya
- Kale
- Spinach
You can add yogurt or coconut milk to your smoothies and spices such as turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon, which help fight inflammation.
4. Tea
Tea, whether it’s green, black, or white, is another good drink for arthritis. This is because tea leaves are rich in polyphenols, powerful anti-inflammatory compounds that help fight inflammation.
Green tea is considered the best tea for your health. To make the most of it, choose loose-leaf tea, which contains more antioxidants than tea bags. You can also try matcha, which consists of powdered green tea leaves and, as such, contains even more antioxidants and nutrients than steeped green tea.
Herbal tea can help as well. Try herbal tea made from turmeric, ginger, or rose hip, for example.
5. Black coffee
Tea is not the only drink that contains polyphenols. These anti-inflammatory compounds are also present in coffee, which means coffee can be good for arthritis.
However, keep in mind that you should drink coffee in moderation. And beware of fancy coffee drinks with sugar, calories, and artificial flavours. You can enjoy these once in a while, but if you want to make the most of the anti-inflammatory properties of your coffee, it’s best to take it black most of the time. No sugar and no milk.
6. Red wine
Red wine is rich in resveratrol, which is a type of polyphenol. Since red wine has anti-inflammatory properties, it can help prevent arthritic pain as long as you drink it in moderation.
Drinking too much alcohol could make your arthritis much worse. So be sure to drink no more than one glass a day if you are a woman and no more than two a day if you are a man.
Alcohol can interfere with some medication, making it more difficult for your body to deal with arthritic pain. So if you are not already drinking a glass of red wine from time to time, don’t start just because you think it could help your arthritis.
7. Hot chocolate
Cocoa contains anti-inflammatories and antioxidants, and dark chocolate has been known to help some people get relief from arthritic pain. Hot chocolate could help as well.
But to make the most of the polyphenols in cocoa, avoid drinking hot chocolate prepared with a lot of sugar and fat. A cup of hot chocolate prepared from unsweetened cocoa powder, milk, water, and a dash of cayenne pepper will be a better option for your arthritis.
