In the News: Dr. Amy Drescher on Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Anti-inflammatory foods (Photo credit iStock: IG Photography)

People who live with chronic pain often use many different methods to manage their pain: medicine, physical therapy, exercise. In a recent article for Practical Pain Management, Nutritional Sciences assistant professor of practice Amy Drescher offered some advice for reducing pain by including anti-inflammatory foods into the mix.

Studies show a link between a diet rich in certain nutrients and a reduction in pain from conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Foods like berries and green tea have anti-inflammatory properties, as do nuts and legumes, dark green leafy vegetables, fatty fish, and yogurt. Dr. Drescher offered advice for incorporating these foods into your normal diet.

"Gradually incorporate more fruits and veggies with your usual meals and begin experimenting with foods you are less familiar with to find some new favorites," she said. She also warned that people should be careful about alcohol consumption - no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. "Beyond this amount, alcohol is no longer beneficial to health and promotes inflammation," she said.

Get a list of anti-inflammatory foods - and some recipes - when you read the full article.