For more youthful knee joints — or anything that bends — consider what’s in your kitchen.

These six foods could be your best medicine: berries, ginger, avocado, flaxseeds, omega-3-rich fish, and soy. Research shows they help stifle joint-damaging inflammation, according to John La Puma, MD, author of ChefMD: The Big Book of Culinary Medicine.

On Your Menu
Try this joint-friendly daily meal plan: whole-grain cereal or oatmeal with berries for breakfast, a turkey and avocado sandwich or a soy burger for lunch, a handful of walnuts or flaxseeds for a snack, and wild salmon or tilapia for dinner. (Make this Asian Salmon with fresh ginger for extra anti-inflammatory action.)

More Picks (and Pans)
Some other diet do’s — and don’ts — from La Puma (browse his book online ):

• Make a fruit bowl . . . with orange and grapefruit chunks. Vitamin C can thwart cartilage loss and slow osteoarthritis progression. (Use this online tool to see which vegetables are top “C” picks.)
• Sip tea. It’s chock-full of anti-inflammatory compounds. (Here’s why green tea may be especially good.)
• Nix red meat, and skip the sugary and starchy stuff. Proinflammatory substances in these foods — like saturated fats in red meat — could spur joint pain or make it worse. (Here are some tips on getting off the cow.)

Living with osteoarthritis? Find out which types of exercise can help.

RealAge Benefit: Reducing your risk of arthritis by losing excess weight can make your RealAge up to 6 years younger.

References Published on 07/03/2008.