good health
The Rx: Cherries
The Target: Arthritis, muscle pain
The Dose: 45 daily
Compounds in cherries called anthocyanins—the same phytonutrients
that give cherries their rich ruby hue—are powerful antioxidants that
work two ways to tamp down pain. “They block inflammation and they
inhibit pain enzymes, just like aspirin, naproxen, and other nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatories,” says Muraleedharan Nair, PhD, natural products
chemist at Michigan State University’s College of Agricultural and Natural
Resources. One study in the Journal of Nutrition showed that people who
ate a bowl of cherries for breakfast reduced a major marker of inflammation by 25%. Other researchers found less muscle pain in runners who drank 12 ounces of tart cherry juice twice daily
for 7 days before a distance run.
The Rx: Coffee
The Target: Headaches
The Dose: Two 4-ounce cups
Coffee isn’t just a morning pick-me-up. It’s good medicine. “Caffeine
helps reduce pain by narrowing the dilated blood vessels that develop
with headaches,” says Andrew Weil, M.D., founder and director of the
Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. And coffee delivers a one-two
punch by reducing pain-promoting compounds and amplifying the
effect of other pain relievers too. (But be warned: If you’re a java junkie,
too much caffeine can have the opposite effect. When you quit, you can
get withdrawal headaches. Coffee works as a headache reliever only if
you don’t consume it regularly.)
The Rx: Ginger
The Target: Migraines, arthritis, sore muscles
The Dose: 1/4 teaspoon daily
This spicy root is a traditional stomach soother, easing seasickness and
nausea. It’s believed to work by breaking up intestinal gas and possibly
blocking a receptor in the gut that induces vomiting. But there are good
reasons to eat ginger even when you’re not doubled over. Another natural aspirin impersonator and anti-inflammatory, it can offer relief from
migraines, arthritis pain, and muscle aches.
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