Osteoarthritis is a degenerative bone disease causing pain, hindered mobility and inflammation of joints throughout your body. In addition to fighting inflammation with medications, your diet can play a key role in lowering, controlling or preventing advancement of inflammation throughout your body and improving joint health. Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet that limits consumption of refined carbohydrates and saturated and trans fats, and provides low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods, provides the most efficient way to improve your joint health.
Leafy Greens
Healthy foods for osteoarthritis in the fingers and joints will contain a variety of leafy greens, which fall within the pain-free food category of anti-arthritis foods that do not contribute to arthritis. Due to containing large amounts of antioxidants, leafy greens can not only prevent arthritis, but also reduce symptoms such as pain and inflammation by neutralizing harmful free-radicals that intensity the aging process and cause joint damage. Choose from a variety of leafy greens such as spinach, collard greens, endive, turnip greens, lettuce varieties, mustard greens, radicchio, chard, kale and leeks.
Whole Grains
Whole grains provide a number of benefits for overall health, including large amounts of fiber, which helps fill you up and whets your appetite, making weight management more controllable. According to the Arthritis Foundation, obesity increases body inflammation. Maintaining a healthy weight not only reduces the risks of developing health ailments such as diabetes and heart disease, but it also lowers the symptoms of osteoarthritis, by reducing the amount of weight your lower body joints need to support and transport. Brown rice, in particular, is recommended as a healthy pain-free food that does not contribute to arthritis. Healthy foods for osteoarthritis in the fingers and joints can also include other whole grains such as oats, quinoa, triticale, rye, whole wheat and varieties of bran.
Choosing foods such as pasta, breads, crackers and cereals made with whole grains instead of refined flours provides a joint-healthy alternative.
Fatty Fish
Healthy foods for osteoarthritis in the fingers and joints need to include a variety of fatty fish, known to be high in omega-3 fatty acids, according to the Arthritis Foundation. In particular, omega-3 fatty acids contain rich amounts of polyunsaturated fat, an unsaturated fat that helps fight and neutralize free radicals. Adding more fatty fish to your diet can help lower joint stiffness, suppress cartilage erosion, reduce pain levels and lower inflammation, according to nutrition expert Joy Bauer with MSNBC. Fatty fish include heart-healthy coldwater fish such as herring, salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout, sardines and oysters.
Berries
Berries contain rich amounts of antioxidants, such as vitamin C, which can help fight free-radicals that can harm joints. Choosing brightly colored berries will also supply rich amounts of beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A. The brighter the berry color, the higher the level of beta-carotene. Berries also contain respectable amounts of the anti-inflammatory agent quercetin. Start eating boysenberries, cranberries, elderberries, strawberries, marionberries and blueberries as part of your dietary regimen.
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