Natural Ways To Fight Pain and Inflammation

Many studies have found that vitamin D and progesterone work together to reduce harmful or long-lasting inflammation, particularly in the brain, nervous system, and gut.

To address this issue, it is important to maintain good progesterone levels and eat a healthy anti-inflammatory diet.

What is inflammation?

When you get hurt or sick, your body’s defense system causes swelling and redness. Even though this causes hurt and trouble, it’s a key part of getting better because it sends more blood and defense cells to the hurt or sick spot.

This is inflammation, but when this normal defence lasts too long or happens when nothing is wrong, it causes harm to your body.

If you have inflammation then having good progesterone levels will help fight it, but so too will eating foods that reduce swelling.  You may not have sorted it, but there are also some very helpful drinks that will make a difference too.

Turmeric tea

Turmeric tea has curcumin, a natural substance that helps reduce swelling. Studies indicate that curcumin stops certain proteins known as cytokines and enzymes that lead to swelling. It also makes harmless free radicals, which are particles that can trigger more swelling.

Many studies show that people with arthritis who consume 1,000 milligrams of curcumin daily for eight to 12 weeks observe an improvement. Research points to curcumin working as well as common pain relief like paracetamol for lessening pain and improving motion in people with knee arthritis.

Ginger tea

Ginger has strong substances called gingerol and shogaol that help prevent the body from producing proteins that cause swelling. Studies show that ginger helps ease pain and lessen difficulty moving in people with arthritis.

One study showed that ginger supplements decreased muscle aches after working out. Research also suggests that ginger can ease monthly period pains as well as common pain drugs like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

It might even help with headaches – one study found that ginger worked about as well as the medicine sumatriptan for easing headache pain, and with fewer bad effects.

Tart cherry juice

Cherry juice is full of anthocyanins, strong antioxidants that help guard your cells by making harmless free radicals, particles that can harm your cells and cause swelling. Consuming tart cherry juice often may reduce how often gout attacks occur. (Gout is a kind of arthritis caused by too much uric acid building up in the body.)

I must admit I always have a bottle of this juice on hand in the fridge as although I’ve never drunk port I do get the odd attack of gout in my feet!

Some research even suggests that tart cherry juice can lessen muscle aches and help your body get better faster after exercise.

Green tea

This has a compound called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, that helps stop proteins that cause swelling. A study with rats showed that EGCG might make arthritis symptoms less severe.

Studies suggest that EGCG might lessen swelling in the stomach for problems like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. EGCG’s ability to reduce swelling might help shield the brain from harm caused by swelling.

Green tea also has an amino acid called theanine, which helps you feel calm and able to concentrate, and might reduce swelling.

Matcha latte

Matcha is a powder made from special green tea leaves, ground very finely. Similar to normal green tea, it has many catechins, like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and an amino acid called L-theanine, which both help fight swelling.

One study found that drinking matcha every day for a month made gum health better for people with gingivitis by decreasing the amount of proteins that cause swelling. If you do not consume dairy, you can still have a matcha latte by using milks made from plants like oats, almonds, or soy.

Pineapple juice

Pineapple has a lot of bromelain, which is an enzyme that helps break down proteins and strongly reduces swelling. It breaks down bradykinin, a protein that causes pain and puffiness, and can also stop other proteins that lead to swelling.

One study found that pineapple juice greatly reduced period pain in teenage girls. Other research shows that bromelain can lessen pain after dental work like root canals and gum surgery. It might also help ease pain in long-term swelling problems like osteoarthritis.Beet Juice

Beetroot

This vegetable is rich in nitrates, which improve heart health by lowering blood pressure and increasing blood flow. They also contain antioxidants, which help to calm inflammation.

Betalains, the pigments that give them their deep red colour, also fight inflammation and several studies found that beetroot juice lowered inflammation markers. These are substances in the blood that show when inflammation is present in adults with high blood pressure and in people with type 2 diabetes.

Another study found that beetroot juice may also help your muscles recover faster after exercise by reducing inflammation.

Blueberry smoothies

Blueberries are rich in anthocyanins, which are natural pigments that give them their blue colour and many health benefits. These compounds help reduce inflammation by fighting harmful free radicals that can harm your cells.

In one study, people with knee osteoarthritis who ate freeze-dried blueberry powder reported less pain, stiffness, and issues with daily activities. Animal studies suggest that blueberries or their extracts may also reduce inflammation in conditions like acute kidney injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Warm lemon water

Lemons are full of natural compounds that help your body reduce pain and inflammation. They have a lot of vitamin C, which is essential for making collagen, the main component of connective tissue like cartilage.

Research shows that collagen helps repair cartilage and can ease osteoarthritis symptoms. Vitamin C also protects your cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Herbal infusions

Herbal infusions, such as chamomile and rooibos, contain various compounds, including flavonoids, that help decrease inflammation.

Chamomile has been used for many years to relieve joint pain, nerve pain, and stomach cramps. It is also used to reduce inflammation in different parts of the body, like the skin and colon. Several studies show that chamomile can help lower gum pain and inflammation.

Rooibos contains antioxidants, including aspalathin and nothofagin, which fight free radicals, reduce oxidative stress, and lessen inflammation.

Helpful information:

Help For Inflammatory Conditions