Agonising arthritis pain: Top supplements to help relieve and reduce inflammation

Although there’s no cure for arthritis, certain supplements can help fight inflammation and joint pain, which in turn helps ease the pain many people live with on a daily basis.

One of the most common forms of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis – an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissue, including the joints, causing painful swelling and stiffness. However, adding these supplements to your diet may help ease the symptoms and offer some much-needed relief, Dr Ron Goedeke from Appearance Medicine & Wellness Centre explains.

Turmeric

Turmeric contains a molecule called curcumin which has become widely recognised as a great anti-inflammatory, according to Goedeke.

He says it works by helping to reduce inflammatory cytokines (small proteins) which act as an inflammation messenger that causes pain in arthritis sufferers. He adds: “Curcumin is effective at preventing joint inflammation too.”

Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that helps control oxidative stress. This supplement is great for reducing body-wide inflammation and has proven to slow down cartilage degradation.

“As a relatively new discovery and product, most of the Astaxanthin studies to date have been done in animals but the results have been so good that human studies are happening now,” Goedeke explains.

SAM-E

“This is a naturally occurring compound in the body that acts as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever,” Goedeke explains.

Our body uses SAM-E to create chemicals that play a role in pain and inflammation.

“It also shows further promise as a great arthritis supplement with its potential to encourage cartilage growth,” he adds.

CBD Oil (cannabidiol)

Although CBD oil isn’t easily accessible yet, Goedeke says it definitely will be in the near future. In Australia, it is prescription only and acts as an extremely powerful anti-inflammatory and pain controller.

The cannabinoids, found in the supplement, directly influence our endocannabinoid system, a series of receptors throughout the entire body.

“The endocannabinoid system has a direct relationship to pain and inflammation,” he explains.

Do you have arthritis? How do you control the pain?

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.