3/17/22, 1:23 PM An anti-inflammatory diet may be good for your joints - Harvard Health

Menu

RECENT BLO G ARTICLES

Warming up to

1/10

NUTRITION

An anti-inflammatory diet may be

good for your joints
February 1, 2022

By Kelly Bilodeau, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Changing your diet can’t cure conditions like

arthritis, but it may help prevent or manage
them.
Foods that reduce inflammation inside the body are all the
rage these days — and for good reason. Eating these foods
over time has been linked to a lower risk of numerous health
conditions, including heart and blood vessel problems and
chronic diseases such as diabetes.

But can a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods also help your

joints?

"Research seems to show a benefit when it comes to

https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/an-anti-inflammatory-diet-may-be-good-for-your-joints 1/10
3/17/22, 1:23 PM An anti-inflammatory diet may be good for your joints - Harvard Health

prevention," says Natalie McCormick, a research fellow in

medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Studies, such as the
Nurses’ Health Study, have found that not only can an anti-
inflammatory diet help to prevent arthritis, but it may also
prevent conditions like heart disease and diabetes that people with arthritis are more
likely to develop."

Eat a healthy diet over the years, and you may be less prone to conditions such as gout or
other types of arthritis. The benefit is less clear if you’ve got joint problems already, says
McCormick. But it may still help.

Protect yourself from the damage of chronic

inflammation.
Science has proven that chronic, low-grade inflammation can turn into a silent killer that contributes
to cardiovas­cular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and other conditions. Get simple tips to fight
inflammation and stay healthy -- from Harvard Medical School experts.

LEARN MORE

https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/an-anti-inflammatory-diet-may-be-good-for-your-joints 2/10
3/17/22, 1:23 PM An anti-inflammatory diet may be good for your joints - Harvard Health

"Diet can be part of disease management," she says. "But it’s not necessarily a cure-all for
joint pain on its own."

Understanding inflammation
Inflammation inside the body occurs when your immune system leaps into action to
heal an infection or injury by sending in an army of white blood cells. If you have a cut,
the area around it may turn red or swell as this healing process occurs. But once the
problem is under control, inflammation recedes, and your body returns to normal.

Chronic inflammation is not so helpful to your body. If you are under chronic stress, are
obese, or have an autoimmune disorder, inflammation doesn’t go away. It persists,
damaging the body and potentially leading to problems such as arthritis, heart disease,
or cancer.

Eating the right diet may help to switch off this inflammatory process, protecting your
body from harm. There are still many unknowns about how the food you eat relates to
the levels of inflammation in your body. But evidence of a potential benefit is growing.

"When researchers first started looking at diets that produced anti-inflammatory effects,
they were interested in whether they could reduce heart disease and cancer. But over the
years, other benefits have emerged," says McCormick. This includes the protection that
these diets may afford the joints.

Some painful joint conditions are potentially triggered or exacerbated by inflammation

in the body. For example, gout, which is caused by a buildup of a substance called uric
acid, occurs when tiny crystals form in the joints. These crystals irritate the tissues in
the joint and can trigger chronic inflammation. Even osteoarthritis, which was once
thought of as just wear and tear on joints, is now known to be associated with chronic
inflammation, albeit less than what is seen in other types of arthritis.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/an-anti-inflammatory-diet-may-be-good-for-your-joints 3/10
3/17/22, 1:23 PM An anti-inflammatory diet may be good for your joints - Harvard Health

Choosing the right diet

There are two main dietary patterns that are thought to produce anti-inflammatory
benefits, says McCormick. These are the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet. The
Alternative Healthy Eating Index, which measures diet quality, can also be used to work
toward a similar healthy eating pattern that has been shown to improve health — lots of
fruits and vegetables; healthy fats, such as olive oil; whole grains; and lean meats, fish,
and legumes. These diets don’t include many of the foods in a Western-style diet, such
as highly processed and sugary foods and drinks and red and processed meats.

Researchers have noted a reduction in various measures of inflammation inside the

body, such as a substance called C-reactive protein, in people who regularly opt for an
anti-inflammatory dietary pattern. People who eat a Western-style diet have seen the
opposite effect.

Over time, a healthy dietary pattern may reduce your risk of developing a painful joint
condition. An anti-inflammatory eating pattern over the years may cut your risk of gout
by as much as 60%, says McCormick. A steady diet of anti-inflammatory foods may also
help to reduce joint pain for people living with osteoarthritis and potentially slow the
progression of damage.

To get the most benefit you’ve got to eat a variety of anti-inflammatory foods, ideally
over a number of years, she says.

While questions still need to be answered about the role of food in fighting
inflammation, what is known is that the foods that appear to reduce inflammation also
tend to be good for you for other reasons. So, there is really no drawback to adding more
of these foods into your daily meal plan.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one anti-inflammatory diet over another, says
McCormick. Rather, you can mix and match elements to suit your personal lifestyle and
tastes. Red meats and sugary beverages are associated with increased risk of gout, says
McCormick. So, you should eliminate those if possible.

Choosing a healthy eating pattern may have broad health benefits protecting against a
variety of conditions.

"You don’t have to choose one type of food to prevent one condition and something else
https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/an-anti-inflammatory-diet-may-be-good-for-your-joints 4/10
3/17/22, 1:23 PM An anti-inflammatory diet may be good for your joints - Harvard Health
You don t have to choose one type of food to prevent one condition and something else
for another," she says.

Image: © pundapanda/Getty Images

SHARE THIS PAGE

PRINT THIS PAGE

Disclaimer:

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of
archived content.
Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content
on this site, regardless of date,
should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical
advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/an-anti-inflammatory-diet-may-be-good-for-your-joints 5/10
3/17/22, 1:23 PM An anti-inflammatory diet may be good for your joints - Harvard Health

NUTRITION

The 10 rules of a heart-healthy diet

https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/an-anti-inflammatory-diet-may-be-good-for-your-joints 6/10
3/17/22, 1:23 PM An anti-inflammatory diet may be good for your joints - Harvard Health

NUTRITION

Scoring highly on Alternative Healthy Eating Index

lowers risk for many illnesses

NUTRITION

Fighting inflammation with food

You might also be interested in…

https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/an-anti-inflammatory-diet-may-be-good-for-your-joints 7/10
3/17/22, 1:23 PM An anti-inflammatory diet may be good for your joints - Harvard Health

Fighting Inflammation
Chronic inflammation plays a central role in some of the most challenging diseases of
our time, including rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and
even Alzheimer’s. This report will examine the role that chronic inflammation plays in
these conditions, and will also provide information on the breadth of drugs currently
available to alleviate symptoms. Drug choices range from simple aspirin, a nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drug that’s been available for more than a century, to disease-
modifying drugs and so-called biologics that promise more targeted treatments.

READ MORE

FREE HEALTHBEAT SIGNUP

G
https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/an-anti-inflammatory-diet-may-be-good-for-your-joints 8/10
3/17/22, 1:23 PM An anti-inflammatory diet may be good for your joints - Harvard Health

Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!

Email Address

SIGN UP

MY ACCOUNT

Customer Service

Log in

ORDER NOW

Online Learning Courses

Digital Subscriptions

Special Health Reports

Print Subscriptions

MORE

About Us

Permissions
https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/an-anti-inflammatory-diet-may-be-good-for-your-joints 9/10
3/17/22, 1:23 PM An anti-inflammatory diet may be good for your joints - Harvard Health

Content Licensing

Topics

© 2022 by The President and Fellows of Harvard College

Do not sell my personal information | Privacy Policy

https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/an-anti-inflammatory-diet-may-be-good-for-your-joints 10/10