Arthritis is a painful, inflammatory condition of the joints that afflicts men and women of all ages. It involves the breakdown of cartilage, which normally acts as a cushion for your joints. In the absence of cushioning cartilage, bones rub together in a way they were not intended to, which can cause pain.
There are as many as one hundred types of arthritis, ranging from autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis to the more common osteoarthritis which affects most people as they age. Some forms of arthritis can even affect children. Most arthritis is associated with stiff joints that may also be swollen, creaky, and painful.
Joints affected by arthritis may have limited movement and in severe cases may become deformed in appearance. In rheumatoid arthritis joints may be red and warm to the touch and are typically equally affected on both sides of the body. All forms of arthritis can range from very mild to quite debilitating.
Many plants contain powerful anti-inflammatory compounds that can help dramatically reduce symptoms. The standard “Western” diet, which includes a lot of pro-inflammatory foods such as red meat, dairy, refined and processed grains, and refined sugar, is believed to promote conditions such as arthritis. A diet built around fruits and vegetables helps to prevent chronic disease, including certain arthritic conditions.
Fruits and vegetables believed to be effective for those with arthritis pain include:
- ginger
- pineapple
- papaya
- blueberries
- grapefruit
- spinach
- grapes
- plums
- collard greens
- kale
- pears
- bok choy
- sour cherries
- pomegranate
- cauliflower
- raspberries
- strawberries
- onions
- apples
- carrots
- beets
- garlic
- lettuce
Juicing concentrates the healthful compounds in these plants, allowing you to benefit from them more effectively than by eating small amounts of the whole fruit or vegetable. By harnessing the powerful antioxidants and enzymes of raw fruits and vegetables, using these juice recipes for arthritis may increase your joint mobility and comfort and reduce swelling.
You can also increase the anti-inflammatory effectiveness of your juice recipe by mixing it with green tea, raw cold-pressed flax seed oil or liquid fish oil. These all have additional properties that make them healthful elements in an anti-inflammatory diet.
Green tea contains epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) which has been shown to be helpful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Flax and fish oils contain omega 3 fatty acids which are useful for a variety of conditions including various forms of arthritis. These can also be mixed with fresh juices.
The following juice recipes for arthritis can all be easily made using most electric juicers.
Pineapple, Carrot & Celery Juice
5 carrots
2 stalks of celery
4 oz pineapple
1 tsp lemon juice
Papaya Orange Juice
¼ papaya, peeled
1 large orange, peeled
Papaya Blueberry Juice
2 cups blueberries
¼ papaya, peeled
Broccoli Carrot Juice
1/2 cup fresh broccoli, cut in pieces
3 medium carrots, roots only
1 apple, core removed
1/2 lemon, peeled
Sour Cherry-Pomegranate Juice
2 cups sour cherries
1 pomegranate, skin removed
1 apples, core removed
For each recipe, simply juice the listed ingredients in an electric juicer.
You can find other juicing remedies for arthritis on the internet or in books about juicing. However, many of the most successful recipes come from experimentation, so don’t be afraid to use the list of fruits and vegetables above to come up with ideas for new juice combinations. You just might invent a juice that tastes fantastic while providing great relief for your achy, stiff joints!
