13 Foods That Fight Pain

While many foods taste great, they are also powerful healers in a vibrant multicolor disguise. The best healing remedies also taste fabulous (I can’t say that about any prescription medications). Plus, foods won’t cause the nasty common side effects that most drugs cause.

1. Cherries
Muraleedharan Nair, PhD, professor of natural products and chemistry at Michigan State University, found that tart cherry extract is ten times more effective than aspirin at relieving inflammation. Only two tablespoons of the concentrated juice need to be taken daily for effective results. Sweet cherries have also been found to be effective.

2. Blackberries 
3. Raspberries 
4. Blueberries and 
5. Strawberries
Dr. Nair later found the same anti-pain compound in berries like blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries

6. Celery and Celery Seeds
James Duke, Ph.D., author of The Green Pharmacy, found more than 20 anti-inflammatory compounds in celery and celery seeds, including a substance called apigenin, which is powerful in its anti-inflammatory action. Add celery seeds to soups, stews or as a salt substitute in many recipes.

7. Ginger
Ginger reduces pain-causing prostaglandin levels in the body and has been widely used in India to treat pain and inflammation. A study by Indian researchers found that when people who were suffering from muscular pain were given ginger, they all experienced improvement. The recommended dosage of ginger is between 500 and 1,000 milligrams per day. If you’re taking medications, check with your health practitioner for possible herb-drug interactions.

8. Turmeric
Turmeric (curcuma longa) is the yellow spice commonly used in Indian curries. In research it has been shown to be a more effective anti-inflammatory than steroid medications when dealing with acute inflammation. Its main therapeutic ingredient is curcumin. Research shows that curcumin suppresses pain through a similar mechanism as drugs like COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors (without the harmful side effects). Choose a standardized extract with 1500 mg of curcumin content per day.

9. Salmon 10. Mackerel and 11. Herring
Many fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and herring also contain these valuable oils. Omega-3s convert in the body into hormone-like substances that decrease inflammation and pain. According to Dr. Alfred D. Steinberg, an arthritis expert at the National Institute of Health, fish oil is an anti-inflammatory agent. Fish oil acts directly on the immune system by suppressing 40 to 55 percent of the release of cytokines, compounds known to destroy joints. Many other studies also demonstrate that eating moderate amounts of fish or taking fish oil reduces pain and inflammation, particularly for arthritis sufferers.

12. Flax Seeds and Flax Oil
Freshly-ground flax seeds and cold-pressed flax oil, contain plentiful amounts of fatty acids known as Omega-3s. Do not cook with flax oil otherwise it will have the opposite effect-irritating the body’s tissues and causing pain.

13. Raw Walnuts and Walnut Oil
Raw walnuts and walnut oil also contain the same powerful Omega-3 fatty acids that fight pain and inflammation in the body.

When it comes to pain, food really is the best medicine.

The #1 Beverage for Anti-Aging

You’ve probably heard a lot about the health benefits of drinking tea, especially green tea. Green tea has been shown to play a large role in anti-aging. It can reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s, can help build bone density and ward off eye diseases that are common with aging.

Black, green and oolong teas come from the Camellia sinensis plant. Green tea consists of leaves that haven’t been fermented and so contain the highest level of antioxidants. These teas contain polyphenols. Catechins are the type of polyphenols that seem to have the most potent antioxidant effects, according to Natural Standard, the leading and most-respected reviewer of herbal compounds.
The Mayo Clinic summarized some of the findings about green tea in 2008. Epidemiological or population studies seem to suggest that drinking tea may:

• Reduce atherosclerosis and risk of heart disease
• Lower blood pressure
• Reduce cholesterol levels
• Reduce inflammation in arthritis cases
• Improve bone density
• Improve memory
• Prevent cancer

The problem with population studies, says Mayo, is that they are not clinical studies: life factors and habits are not controlled, so it may be a combination of lifestyle components that could account for the health benefits in peoples that drink tea.
But other studies have found a great number of health benefits from green tea, especially as it relates to anti-aging.

Alzheimer’s

In 2004, scientists at the University of Newcastle studied the effects of black and green tea on Alzheimer’s disease.
In laboratory studies, both teas prevented the breakdown of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter strongly linked with memory. The teas also inhibited an enzyme known as BuChE. This enzyme is found in the protein deposits found in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients. The teas were found to inhibit another enzyme, beta-secretase, which is also involved in the protein deposits associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Japanese researchers published a study on green tea and its effect on the beta-amyloid protein plaques found in Alzheimer’s disease in the April, 2008 issue of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.
The protein plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease increase brain cell damage and death due to oxidative stress. The researchers found that green tea catechins reduced the level of damaging free radicals in the brains of rats. The green-tea rodents showed much less plaque-induced deficits in memory than rodents that didn’t receive green tea and those that were infused with beta-amyloid proteins.
The scientists extrapolated that a human would need to drink about three liters of liquid infused with 0.5% of the catechins to get similar effects but add that because humans ingest other antioxidants in the form of vitamins and plant polyphenols; it’s likely that a much lower quantity could be effective in protecting memory.
Green tea contains more than four times the catechins that black tea does.
Scientists have also discovered that the antioxidants flavonoids may also protect the brain from oxidative stress.
In 2007, Salk Institute researchers found that the flavonoid epicatechin, found in blueberries, cocoa, grapes and tea, improved memory ability in mice. The researchers found that epicatechin seemed to promote blood vessel growth in the brain.
In 2009, King’s College researchers found that epicatechin may protect brain cells through mechanisms unrelated to its antioxidant ability. Epicatechin is one of the few flavonoids that can cross the blood-brain barrier and the King’s College researchers have found that it somehow protects brain cells from the negative effects of beta-amyloid plaques.

Bone Health

University of Hong Kong researchers published a study in the August, 2009 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry concerning green tea and bone health.
When the bone cells of rats were exposed to green tea catechins; EGC, in particular, stimulated an enzyme that promotes bone growth by 79%. The catechins also increased bone mineralization and weakened the activity of cells that reabsorb bone rather than form it.

Eye Diseases

Hong Kong scientists teamed up with those from Wales to study the effects of catechins on eye diseases in a study published in the February, 2010 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
The scientists proved that catechins can pass from the digestive tract of rodents to the tissues of the eye and reduced oxidative stress for up to 20 hours after ingestion.

Sources

Natural Standard (2008)

Mayo Clinic (2008)

Newcastle University (2004)

Physorg (2009)

Medical News Today (2009)

Miranda Hitti (2007)

Medical News Today (2010)