Dietitian Sonya Angelone recommends drinking water when you want to help ease painful inflammation. “Start every day with a glass of water before you eat any food,” she suggested. People tend to be dehydrated without knowing it; water is considered “a magical elixir” that not only hydrates the body, but helps to flush out toxins from the body.
Signs of dehydration
As pointed out by the NHS, signs of dehydration can include:
- Feeling thirsty
- Dark yellow and strong-smelling pee
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
- Feeling tired
- A dry mouth, lips and eyes
- Peeing little, and fewer than four times a day.
“You should drink enough during the day so your pee is a pale clear colour,” the experts noted.
When toxins are flushed out of the body, Angelone added that inflammation is reduced.
“Adequate water intake can help keep your joints well lubricated and prevent gout attacks,” Angelone explained.
Gout attacks
Gout is a type of arthritis that causes sudden, severe joint pain and swelling.
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Angelone noted that another helpful drink to consider when dealing with arthritis is green tea.
Green tea is rich in polyphenols, such as epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), that has “strong anti-inflammatory effects”.
“EGCG has been shown to be as much as 100 times stronger in antioxidant activity than vitamins C and E,” Angelone said.
“Studies have shown it also helps preserve cartilage and bone, although there are no widespread controlled trials of it in people with arthritis.”
“Be sensible when drinking juice: it’s delicious, but also high in sugar and calories,” Angelone pointed out.
In addition to drinking helpful beverages that can help ease inflammation, people with arthritis would also benefit from exercising every day.
Regular exercise can help to reduce stiffness, increase muscle strength, and improve joint mobility.
The NHS recommends that everybody aims to exercise for at least 150 minutes each week.
