Anti-Inflammatory Foods for Fibromyalgia

They contain high amounts of both soluble and insoluble fibre,  as well as drawing water to themselves. This adds bulk and water to the stools, which is important for keeping your system clean and clear. Chia seeds will also help your body absorb the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, which need fat in order to be properly utilized by the body. Chia seeds are great for helping to keep blood sugar levels stable as well as binding to cholesterol and helping to usher it out of the body.

2. Ginger Root

Ginger root (Zingiber officinale) is well known as a remedy for travel sickness, nausea and indigestion and is used for wind, colic, irritable bowel, loss of appetite, chills, cold, flu, poor circulation, menstrual cramps, dyspepsia (bloating, heartburn, flatulence), indigestion and gastrointestinal problems such as gas and stomach cramps. Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory herb and there has been much recent interest in its use for joint problems. It has also been indicated for arthritis, fevers, headaches, toothaches, coughs, bronchitis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, to ease tendonitis, lower cholesterol and blood-pressure and aid in preventing internal blood clots.

3. Green Juice

Anti-Inflammatory Green Juice

Ingredients

• 1 large cucumber
• 4 stalks celery
• 1 lime
• 2 oranges, peeled
• 1 small head romaine
• 1 large stalk chard
• 1/2 tsp Barleygrass Juice Extract Powder
• 1 small bunch mint
• 1 inch piece turmeric root

Directions

1. Run each ingredient through a juicer one at a time.
2. Stir and serve.

4. Papaya

Papaya contains several unique protein-digesting enzymes including papain and chymopapain. These enzymes have been shown to help lower inflammation and to improve healing from burns. In addition, the antioxidant nutrients found in papaya, including vitamin C and beta-carotene, are also very good at reducing inflammation. This may explain why people with diseases that are worsened by inflammation, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, find that the severity of their condition is reduced when they get more of these nutrients.

Deliciously sweet with musky undertones and a soft, butter-like consistency, it is no wonder the papaya was reputably called the “fruit of the angels” by Christopher Columbus. Once considered quite exotic, they can now be found in markets throughout the year. Although there is a slight seasonal peak in early summer and fall, papaya trees produce fruit year round.

Papayas are spherical or pear-shaped fruits that can be as long as 20 inches. The ones commonly found in the market usually average about 7 inches and weigh about one pound. Their flesh is a rich orange color with either yellow or pink hues. Inside the inner cavity of the fruit are black, round seeds encased in a gelatinous-like substance. Papaya’s seeds are edible, although their peppery flavor is somewhat bitter. The fruit, as well as the other parts of the papaya tree, contain papain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins. This enzyme is especially concentrated in the fruit when it is unripe. Papain is extracted to make digestive enzyme dietary supplements and is also used as an ingredient in some chewing gums.

5. Blueberries

Blueberries are well known among many as an anti-inflammatory food. Blueberries stimulate your body to heal itself and kill germs. When we continually bombard our systems with junk and convenience foods, our body gets confused, goes into overdrive and becomes destructive. Doctors recommend a healthy diet rich in omega-3, leafy vegetables, whole grains, flax and blueberries, one of the best anti-inflammatory foods to stay healthy. Many of the health benefits of blueberries are interlinked; their anti-inflammatory and blueberry antioxidant properties work together as a potent disease-busting team. They act as an anti-cancer, anti-aging, anti-diabetic, anti-heart disease, anti-Alzheimer and anti-cholesterol fighting team.

Researchers believe that the phytochemicals found in blueberries may reduce inflammatory processes in tissues by increasing the cells membrane’s ability to allow vital nutrients and chemical signals to pass in and out of the cell, states the Journal of Food Science.

6. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes contain a wide variety of extremely beneficial nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber, all of which combat inflammation.  Sweet potatoes are a food that both prevents and fight inflammation in the body. Sweet potatoes contain a protein that helps the plant repair itself after damage or bruising. When eaten this protein acts as an anti-inflammatory in our body. But that’s not all.  Sweet potatoes are also a great food source to replace inflammatory food culprits like wheat.

7. Broccoli

Broccoli is one of the most anti-inflammatory foods on the planet. This Arthritis Healing Superfood relieves joint pain and encourages new cartilage growth. Sulforaphane, vitamin C, vitamin K, beta carotene, selenium, calcium and the pain-reliever salicylic acid top the list of its healing ingredients. All members of Broccoli’s cruciferous family of vegetables play a critical role in The Arthritis Healing Diet.

Broccoli eases inflammation with sulforaphane. The naturally-occurring sulfur compound called sulforaphane prevents joint pain in the same way COX-2 arthritis drugs do, but without the potentially dangerous side effects. Plus, the beneficial effects last longer. Johns Hopkins researchers studying COX-2 drugs found that compounds in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli can stop pain before it starts.

8. Turmeric

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a culinary spice that spans cultures – it is a major ingredient in Indian curries, and makes American mustard yellow. But evidence is accumulating that this brightly colored relative of ginger is a promising disease-preventive agent as well, probably due largely to its anti-inflammatory action.

One of the most comprehensive summaries of turmeric studies to date was published by the respected ethnobotanist James A. Duke, Phd., in the October, 2007 issue of Alternative & Complementary Therapies, and summarized in the July, 2008, issue of the American Botanical Council publication HerbClip.

Reviewing some 700 studies, Duke concluded that turmeric appears to outperform many pharmaceuticals in its effects against several chronic, debilitating diseases, and does so with virtually no adverse side effects.

9. Green Tea

Green tea has been consumed for thousands of years, and in the past few decades science has uncovered a number of medicinal uses for this popular herb. Green tea has potent anti-inflammatory properties due to the antioxidants it possesses. It has been researched for its role in treating diseases caused by inflammation, including fibromyalgia,  atherosclerosis, liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease and a variety of cancers.

10. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A substance found in extra-virgin olive oil has anti-inflammatory effects similar to those of ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), reports a study in Nature (2005; 437:45–6). The presence of anti-inflammatory activity in olive oil might help explain why its use has been linked to heart disease prevention and improvements in people with arthritis.

Oleocanthol, the substance isolated from extra-virgin olive oil, inhibited two enzymes involved in the process of inflammation (COX-1 and COX-2) but had no effect on a third inflammation-inducing enzyme (lipoxygenase). This pattern of activity is identical to that of ibuprofen. It is interesting that, while oleocanthol and ibuprofen do not have similar chemical structures, both of these compounds cause a strong stinging sensation in the throat.

It has long been suspected that olive oil inhibits inflammation. In a study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, supplementing with about 4 teaspoons per day of olive oil for 12 weeks reduced pain and morning stiffness and improved laboratory measures of disease activity. Eating a Mediterranean diet, which is high in olive oil, has also been found to improve symptoms and reduce inflammation in people with rheumatoid arthritis. In another study, the combination of extra-virgin olive oil and fish oil was more effective than fish oil alone in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

11. Grapes

Eating grapes may help reduce inflammation in the body. In fact, the benefits may be powerful enough to prevent the organ damage metabolic syndrome can cause – at least in rats. (Metabolic syndrome is combination of risk factors that can lead to diabetes and heart disease.) Researchers at the University of Michigan looked at the effects of adding grapes to the equivalent of a high-fat American style diet fed to obesity-prone rats. The grapes were freeze-dried into powder and included green, red and black varieties. After 90 days of this diet, the researchers saw a reduction of inflammatory markers in the rats’ bodies, especially in the liver and in abdominal fat. They also measured increases in markers of antioxidant defense, particularly in the liver and kidneys. They credited the polyphenols (antioxidants that benefit health) in the grapes with the improvement. The study results were presented in April at the Experimental Biology conference in Boston.

12. Flaxseed

It is important to realize that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of flaxseed do not apply only to the cardiovascular system. Oxidative stress (which is often related to deficient intake of antioxidant nutrients) and excessive inflammation (which can also be related to deficient intake of anti-inflammatory nutrients) are common risk factors for a wide variety of health problems. These problems include development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, asthma, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. There is preliminary evidence that flaxseed intake can decrease risk of all the problems above by increasing our anti-inflammatory and antioxidant protection.

Sources: chronicfatigue.about.com/od/symptoms/a/Inflammation-In-Fibromyalgia.htm,  youngandraw.com/anti-inflammatory-cleansing-health-benefits-of-chia-seeds/ , herbwisdom.com/herb-ginger-root.html , mindbodygreen.com/0-12234/anti-inflammatory-green-juice.html , whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=47 , canadanaturals.com/health-resources/berry/blueberries-nature%E2%80%99s-powerful-antioxidant , blog.wellnessfx.com/2012/05/16/guest-post-fight-inflammation-with-sweet-potato-power/ ,  myhealingkitchen.com/medical-conditions/arthritis/arthritis-make-it-better/broccoli-is-a-giant-among-arthritis-healing-foods/ , drweil.com/drw/u/ART03001/Three-Reasons-to-Eat-Turmeric.html , livestrong.com/article/372839-is-green-tea-an-anti-inflammatory/ , bastyrcenter.org/content/view/930/ , E. Mitchell Seymour et al, “Grape intake exerts diverse tissue pharmacogenomic effects in model of metabolic syndrome.” FASEB J April 9, 2013 27:862.22 , drweilblog.com/home/2013/7/11/anti-inflammatory-grapes.html , whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=81