Ask the Dietitian: Anti-Inflammatory Smoothies for Psoriatic Arthritis

Drinking smoothies is a convenient and delicious way to increase your intake of anti-inflammatory ingredients that may benefit psoriatic arthritis (PsA). These anti-inflammatory smoothies are as nutritious as they are delicious.

When you’re living with an inflammatory condition such as PsA, your diet can make a difference in your symptoms and your overall health.

Though research on the role of diet in managing PsA is limited, some findings suggest that diets that include lots of foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds could significantly benefit people with inflammation-driven diseases such as PsA.

What’s more, research suggests that dietary choices play a significant role in chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Choosing to follow a more anti-inflammatory way of eating not only can benefit PsA symptoms but also may help lower your risk of developing other health complications and diseases in the future.

By drinking smoothies, you can pack more anti-inflammatory foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and other healthy ingredients, into your diet. Foods that are considered anti-inflammatory are high in protective compounds such as polyphenols, carotenoids, unsaturated fatty acids, and certain vitamins and minerals that may benefit PsA symptoms.

You can whip up a smoothie in minutes for a filling and nutritious snack or light meal. Plus, you can tailor smoothies to your taste preferences by mixing and matching ingredients.

Here are four smoothie recipes packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients.

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1. Tropical green smoothie

Green smoothies can help you add more vegetables, such as kale and spinach, to your diet. Leafy greens are a concentrated source of protective plant compounds and nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties, such as glucosinolates, flavonoids, carotenoids, and vitamin C.

Studies show that diets rich in dark green leafy vegetables like spinach can increase blood antioxidant levels and decrease levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), which may help reduce PsA symptoms.

This tropical green smoothie contains several anti-inflammatory ingredients, including spinach and mango. It also includes protein powder, which can help you feel full after drinking your smoothie.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup frozen mango
• 1 banana
• 1 1/2 cups plant milk, such as almond or coconut milk
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 scoop unsweetened vanilla protein powder
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you’d like the smoothie to be thicker, add 1/2 cup of ice.

Top with a sprinkle of chia seeds and unsweetened coconut flakes.

2. Berry cherry smoothie

Berries such as blueberries and strawberries are at the top of most anti-inflammatory food lists — and for good reason. They’re an excellent source of antioxidants and other beneficial substances. Though often overlooked, cherries are just as nutritious as berries and contain a variety of compounds that may help reduce inflammation in your body, including anthocyanins, procyanidins, flavonols, and hydroxycinnamic acids.

Studies show that eating cherries could be an effective way to reduce several markers of inflammation, including CRP, pro-inflammatory interferon-gamma (IFNγ), interleukin 18 (IL-8), and endothelin-1, which are often elevated in people with PsA.

This berry cherry smoothie, which contains frozen cherries and berries, nut butter, and other nutritious anti-inflammatory ingredients, is a great option for people with PsA.

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen cherries
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 1/2 cups coconut water
• 1 tablespoon almond butter or natural peanut butter
• 1 scoop collagen peptides
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you’d like the smoothie to be thicker, add 1/2 cup of ice.

3. Creamy cacao and avocado smoothie

If you’re a chocolate lover, you’ll be happy to know that chocolate products, such as cacao powder, are among the best sources of antioxidants you can eat. In fact, cocoa and chocolate products have the highest flavonoid content by weight of any food.

Flavonoids are compounds that have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in your body. Cacao contains several flavonoids, including epicatechin, catechin, and procyanidins.

This creamy cacao and avocado smoothie is loaded with anti-inflammatory benefits thanks to ingredients such as cacao and avocado. Avocado is another concentrated source of plant compounds and nutrients that may benefit people with PsA, including carotenoids, vitamin C, and vitamin E. It’s also a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water or milk of choice
• 2 pitted dates
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cacao powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 scoop unsweetened chocolate protein powder

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you’d like the smoothie to be thicker, add 1/2 cup of ice.

Top with a sprinkle of cacao nibs.

4. Peachy pomegranate smoothie

Pomegranate is often considered a “superfood” because of its high levels of antioxidants. Pomegranate seeds and pomegranate juice are excellent sources of anti-inflammatory compounds such as ellagitannins, anthocyanins, and organic acids, which may help reduce PsA-related inflammation.

Pomegranate juice has a sweet flavor and makes an excellent addition to smoothies.

This peachy pomegranate smoothie is packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients, including pomegranate juice and frozen peaches, which are rich in carotenoid pigments such as beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin.

When preparing the peaches for your smoothie, make sure to keep the peels on. Research suggests that peach peels are high in antioxidants, so leaving the peel on the fruit can add serious benefits to your smoothie.

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen peaches
• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 cup water or milk of choice
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 scoop unsweetened vanilla protein powder
• 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you’d like the smoothie to be thicker, add 1/2 cup of ice.

The takeaway

With just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up an inflammation-fighting smoothie in a matter of minutes. Increasing your intake of the anti-inflammatory ingredients found in the smoothie recipes above may help decrease inflammation in your body, which could help reduce your PsA symptoms.

You can try incorporating smoothies into your diet as a filling snack or light meal.