What we put in our bodies has a great hand in the maintenance and upkeep of our health. This can be the case with maintaining the health of our joints. When our joints are inflamed, it can be a pain and can have short term and long term events. One of the easiest ways to try to reduce that inflammation and keep our joints happy and healthy is by adding more foods with anti-inflammatory properties in it. Some research has been done on what foods have been linked to a decrease in inflammation, but there are still a few grey areas where the research is involved. However, as more and more evidence grows on what foods may be best for us to keep our inflammation down, the more certain we are of what we should be eating. Here are our top 7 food recommendations to add to your diet to maintain healthy joints!

Avocados

Avocados are a superfood that we cannot ignore. However, our society’s fear of fat and the misconception that surrounds the avocado’s fat content have made it difficult for some to start introducing the delicious fruit into their diet. Despite its high calorie content, the avocado is loaded with anti-inflammatory, heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Basically, the good kinds of fats. The monounsaturated fatty acids are not the only anti-inflammatory component in avocados. This fruit is an amazing source of Vitamin E. For those unfamiliar with it, Vitamin E is a micronutrient with anti-inflammatory effects that help to relieve our joints. We highly recommend everyone eating more avocados because of how helpful the fruit can be for our bodies. Just keep in mind not to overdo it because they are high in calories and you should be fine.

Strawberries

Strawberries have loads of health benefits, but scientists are beginning to suspect that they may be good for relieving inflammation. The Harvard School of Public Health studied women who ate 16 or more fresh or frozen strawberries per week, and compared those women to others who didn’t eat any strawberries at all. They found that the strawberry eaters were 14 percent less likely to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a sign of inflammation. More studies are starting to confirm that the anthocyanin in strawberries may be what has a hand in reducing inflammation in the body. However, nothing is definitive about how strawberries play a hand in the body’s inflammatory process. It wouldn’t hurt to add more strawberries to your diet.

Apples

As cliche as the saying is, an apple a day may actually keep the doctors away due to how many health benefits we can get from eating them. And, as more researchers start looking at the fruit to see whether or not it can contribute to reducing inflammation, studies are slowly starting to reveal that we should start eating them to maintain our joints. Natalie Azar, M.D., has said that this sweet fruit contains quercetin, an antioxidant that may keep arthritis and its associated pain at bay. It’s also rich in anthocyanins, strong anti-inflammatory compounds that are responsible for giving red apples their hue. So, perhaps, an apple a day is a good bet.

Salmon

We’ve probably all heard this one before. Salmon is notorious for being the go-to for people trying to convert to an anti-inflammatory diet and with good reason! Why is that? Because it is full of omega-3 fatty acids. These omega-3 fatty acids have a HUGE hand in combatting inflammation and stiffness in our joints. The only downside to this delicious fish is that it can be very expensive to eat this frequently. This is where fish oil supplements come in. If you take omega-3 supplements, it’ll have roughly the same effect as eating salmon once or twice a week.

Cherries

Cherries are a favorite research subject for scientists because of the many health-related properties and antioxidants that are inside these stone fruit. Cherries get their delicious flavor and rich color from the flavonoid anthocyanin. The combination of antioxidants and the anthocyanin are known to help relieve inflammation in the joints and body. This combo also helps with joint stiffness. Studies, which often use the concentrated juice of Montmorency cherries, have found tart cherries may relieve joint pain in people with osteoarthritis and lower the risk of flares in those with gout. With more research being done on cherries, I think it may be safe to say that adding a handful of cherries into our daily intake of fruits and vegetables is a great idea.

Nuts

Overall, nuts are versatile additions that we should incorporate in our daily diet due to all of the different health benefits they provide for our bodies. A good variety of nuts are heavily enriched in magnesium, l-arginine and Vitamin E, which may play a role in keeping inflammation under control. Studies have shown that people who eat a diet high in these nutrients tend to have lower levels of some inflammation-causing molecules that circulate in the bloodstream and higher levels of the anti-inflammatory protein adiponectin compared with those who consumed less. We recommend focusing on incorporating unsalted walnuts, peanuts, almonds, and pistachios to your diets.

Turmeric

Yeah. Yeah. Turmeric is not a food, but the spice should be an essential item in your daily diets due to the anti-inflammatory properties it may contain. It is an Indian spice commonly used in curries that can be found in any grocery store, but it is surprising we don’t use it more in our diets. Studies conducted on the spice have found that curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, is an antioxidant that demonstrates anti-inflammatory properties in conditions such as arthritis, muscle sprains and other injuries. Curcumin is o powerful that it matches the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs.