Are you going to the chiropractor, getting regular adjustments, and still experiencing nagging joint pain?
Ever heard the saying, “You are what you eat?” In the case of chronic inflammation, this is especially true.
As discussed in previous posts, arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States. According to the Arthritis Foundation, there are more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions. Arthritis can affect people of any age but is most commonly associated with the older population.
Simply defined, arthritis is inflammation of the joints.
However, the reasons inflammation develops is much more nuanced than the textbook definition. There is one common denominator when it comes to inflammation, which is inflammation is a response from your immune system to something that is infecting the body.
In many instances, this is some sort of viral or bacterial agent that has infiltrated your internal ecosystem. However, what you eat can induce the same response as the common cold or a Strep infection. So what are some nutritional strategies we can use to address chronic pain?
Depending on what you eat, diet is a major source of systemic inflammation, and may be the reason why that nagging pain won’t go away. Therefore, it may be the last piece necessary to solve that chronic pain issue you’ve been dealing with.
In addition, consuming foods and supplements that minimize or reduce inflammation will reduce your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and some types of cancer.
One of the biggest dietary sources of chronic inflammation and disease is sugar.
Sugar comes in many forms and is added to many of the foods we eat with the leading sources being sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, and sweet snacks.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-25 recommends those 2 years of age and older keep their consumption of added sugars to less than 10% of their total daily calories. So for someone who has an intake of 2,000 daily calories, added sugars should comprise 200 calories (12 teaspoons) or less of that total.
According to the CDC, in the years 2017-2018, the average daily intake of added sugars for those 2 years of age and older was 17 teaspoons!
However, added sugars are not the only source of sugar in our diets. When we look at the biochemical breakdown of carbohydrates in general, the end product is always sugar, so limiting our intake of carbohydrates will also reduce risk of developing chronic inflammation.
Don’t go overboard! Our bodies need carbohydrates to fuel many of the physiological processes that take place daily.
Another source of chronic inflammation is dietary fats.
The fats we consume are broken down into fatty acids. Some fatty acids help minimize inflammation, while others promote it. There are several types of fatty acids, but the two we are most concerned with when considering inflammation are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
It is important that we consume a proper balance of each for health purposes, but the ratio between the two is important for minimizing inflammation. The World Health Organization-endorsed ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is 4:1.
When the ratio rises chronically above this is when health consequences start to arise, especially increased inflammation.
Unfortunately, modern food preparation and processing has resulted in the ratio reaching 20:1 and at times 50:1.
The consequences on our health are not only increased inflammation and pain, but studies have shown it can have a negative impact on our mental health. Eating meat has received a bad rap in recent years, but it is not consuming meat that is the problem, it is the method in which the animal was raised that is the problem.
For example, the meat from cows that are fed grass has a fatty acid ratio closer to the ideal 4:1, whereas cows that are fed grains have fatty acid ratios that can soar much higher than that. The oils we cook with can also have a negative effect on our fatty acid intake, as well.
Vegetable-based oils have a high content of omega-6 fatty acids. Instead, opt for oils like extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil to ensure the proper intake of fatty acids.
These are not the only considerations to make when trying to minimize inflammation, but by adjusting these key factors it can go a long way toward addressing issues you may be having with chronic joint soreness and pain.
