I had a scan on my shoulder recently, chasing down what turned out to be a rotator cuff tear, the kind I’m told is depressingly common once you reach a certain age. That part I’d braced myself for. What I hadn’t quite braced myself for was the second finding sitting quietly on the same set of X-rays: a fair degree of arthritis, already well established in the joint, apparently having been there rather longer than the tear itself.

There’s a particular kind of humbling that comes with a doctor showing you a scan of your own shoulder and explaining, gently, that it looks the way a shoulder generally looks after sixty-odd years of throwing balls, carrying suitcases, and occasionally doing something unwise with a garden hose. I went in expecting one diagnosis and came out with two, and a homework assignment I hadn’t seen coming: have a proper look at what you’re eating.

I’ll admit my first reaction was mild scepticism. Food fixing a joint sounded like the kind of thing that ends up in a newsletter promising miracles for $49.95. But the research behind it is considerably more solid and considerably less miraculous than that – nobody’s claiming diet cures arthritis, only that certain foods can genuinely help calm the inflammation that makes it worse, alongside whatever your doctor’s actually recommending. So, in the spirit of taking my own advice for once, here’s what I’ve actually started eating more of.

Oily fish

This is the one every single source agrees on, and for good reason. Salmon, mackerel, sardines and trout are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have consistently been shown to reduce inflammation in the body. One study found people eating fish two or more times a week had meaningfully lower disease activity than those eating it less than once a month. I’ve made a rule of it now: oily fish at least twice a week, non-negotiable, whether that’s a proper piece of grilled salmon or the tinned sardines I’ve become unexpectedly fond of on toast.

Extra virgin olive oil

The unsung hero of the whole list, as far as I’m concerned, mostly because it requires no real change to how I already cook, just a change to which bottle I reach for. Olive oil contains a compound called oleocanthal, which research suggests behaves a bit like a mild, natural anti-inflammatory. I’ve simply started using it more generously than I used to, and using it in place of butter or vegetable oil where I reasonably can.

Berries

My wife will tell you I’ve never needed much encouragement to eat berries, so this was the easiest addition by a distance. Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and cherries are all rich in antioxidants, and there’s genuinely interesting research specifically on tart cherries and strawberries showing measurable reductions in inflammation markers among people with osteoarthritis. A small win for something that already felt more like dessert than medicine.

Garlic

Garlic, along with the rest of the onion family, contains a compound that some research suggests may help protect cartilage and ease pain from osteoarthritis of the hip and knee specifically. I can’t promise it’ll do the same for a shoulder, but I’ve stopped being quite so stingy with it in the pan regardless, and my cooking is unquestionably better for it, whatever the shoulder ultimately makes of it.

Nuts and seeds

Walnuts in particular keep coming up in the research, alongside flaxseeds and chia seeds, all valued for their omega-3 content along with a decent hit of magnesium and antioxidants. I’ve taken to keeping a small container of walnuts at my desk rather than the biscuits I used to reach for mid-afternoon, which has done my waistline no harm either, entirely as a side benefit.

What I’ve actually learned

None of this is a cure, and nobody serious is claiming otherwise, including me. My shoulder still aches on the cold mornings, and I’ll still be having the conversation with a specialist about what comes next for the tear itself. But there’s something genuinely worthwhile in discovering that a handful of simple, unglamorous changes to what’s already on my plate might actually be doing some quiet good, alongside whatever else my doctor and I decide on. At the very least, I’m eating better than I was a month ago, and if my shoulder benefits along the way, I’ll happily call that a fair trade.

This article reflects my personal experience and general information from published research. It isn’t personalised medical advice — if you’re managing arthritis or a joint injury, talk to your GP or a specialist about what’s right for you.