Our daily routines can have a significant impact on the health, longevity, and longevity of our joints, athletic competition and performance, injury prevention and recovery. The foods in your daily diet can help build bone density, strengthen connective tissue, and reduce inflammation. After all, food is medicine.
Along with the use of medications, a proper diet can curb the inflammatory responses from the body that cause pain. The foods we eat are also crucial for maintaining a healthy weight, which impacts the health of the hip joint.
Take a look at a few anti-inflammatory food choices to improve the health of your hips and joints:
- Dark Leafy Greens: Kale, spinach, Swiss chard, bok choy, and shredded cabbage are all high in antioxidants that help lower inflammatory responses. If salads aren't your thing, you can try blending your greens into a smoothie.
- Colorful Fruits: All fruits are high in antioxidants, and foods like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries contain anthocyanins, which reduce inflammation.
- Garlic & Onions: These vegetables are anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting. They contain chemicals that have been shown to relieve some forms of arthritic pain.
- Green Tea: This mild-mannered tea has an antioxidant called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Recent studies also suggest that EGCG may prevent cartilage from breaking down, and helps preserve joints and reduce joint pain1.
- Fatty Fish: Cold-water fish are a terrific source of Omega-3 fatty acids. They are proven to reduce inflammatory proteins in the body, and also improve brain function and lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other illnesses.
- Nuts & Seeds: A daily portion of walnuts, almonds, flax seeds, chia seeds, or pine nuts can help reduce inflammation in the joints and connective tissue.
Surgery can put significant stress on your body. Avoiding foods like sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial trans fat, and refined carbohydrates, keeping salt to a minimum, and avoiding excessive alcohol before and after your procedure can help you heal faster with better outcomes.
There is evidence that certain foods and nutrients can improve the symptoms of arthritis pain in the hips and joints2. Looking at your diet is a great place to start when you are dealing with chronic hip pain.
Dr. Srino Bharam is a board-certified, fellowship-trained sports medicine orthopedic surgeon and professor of orthopedic surgery specializing in the treatment of athletic injuries of the hip and groin. Dr. Bharam has over 20 years of experience in treating injuries and conditions of the hip with the goal of restoring athletes and patients to an active lifestyle.
