One of the easiest ways to alleviate the pain and discomfort caused by inflammation of arthritis or due to wear and tear of aging process naturally is to follow an anti-inflammatory diet. This consists of eating more fruits and vegetables, fish and chicken, avoiding white flour, excessive sugar and refined carbohydrates and cutting down on the intake of processed or packaged foods.
Combining diet with natural anti-inflammatory supplements to control inflammation adds to the ability of managing the inflammation. For centuries, people have used natural chemicals found in plants (phytochemicals) to reduce the inflammatory process in our body and inflammation due to injury or wear and tear of body joints. For example, the bark of the willow tree was used as an analgesic and antipyretic medication more than 2000 years ago by the Greeks and Romans.
The emergence of today's pharmaceutical industry, in large part, has been based on natural products. Drugs such as aspirin, artemisinin, digoxin, Taxol, and many more have been developed from phytochemicals. Not only have many medical breakthroughs been based on compounds of natural origin, but these also represent a large share of the drug market. As Medscape indicated in their 2006 article, in 1999 close to 50% of the 20 best-selling drugs were derived from natural products, and their sales amounted to approximately $16 billion. According to a survey by the National Cancer Institute, 61% of the 877 small molecules, which are new chemical entities introduced as drugs worldwide from 1981 to 2002, were inspired by natural products.
The following are some of the most commonly used natural anti-inflammatory:
- Boswellia Serrata Resin (Frankincense) for its antiinflammatory, antiarthritic, and analgesic properties;
- Curcumin (Turmeric) as an anti-inflammatory agent, for treatment for digestive disorders, and to enhance wound healing agent in Indian Ayurvedic medicine;
- Fish Oil (Omega-3 EFA) for the treatment of muscular, skeletal, and discogenic diseases;
- Green Tea for cardiovascular and cancer preventative characteristics due to its antioxidant properties;
- Pycnogenol (Maritime Pine Bark) for wound healing, treating scurvy, healing of ulcers, and reducing vascular inflammation since the time Hippocrates;
- Uncaria Tomentosa (Cat's Claw) for treating arthritis, bursitis, and intestinal disorders;
- Capsaicin (Chili Pepper) as an anti-inflammatory but can cause a burning sensation when it comes in contact with skin or the digestive tract;
- White Willow Bark, one of the oldest herbal remedies for pain and inflammation.
Other herbs such as rosemary and ginger have also been shown to have natural anti-inflammatory qualities. Similarly MSM, sulfur derivative, vitamins A and E can decrease the pain and inflammation in arthritis sufferers.
Thus by following anti-inflammatory diet and substituting drugs with natural supplements you can effectively manage inflammation in your body.
