Arthritis Diet

Food bad for arthritis

Red meat, milk products, processed with lots of chemical (preservatives, coloring, etc.), sugar, carbs and other sweets, soft drinks, shellfish, eggs, cheese, eggplants, tomatoes, safflower, sunflower, are among the food items that increase inflammation of the joints, causing pain, deformities, and restricted body movements.

Sugar and red meat (and other fatty foods) have been considered the greatest culprits in RA not only in the causation and development of arthritis itself but their adverse effects leading to its faster progressive worsening as sufferers get older.

Research has data that link some foods and inflammation.

Consuming a lot of saturated fats (steak, bacon, hot dogs and butter) produces chemicals in the body that leads to inflammation, swelling, and pain in the joints.

Some report that vegetables from the solanum (or nightshade) family cause problems – potatoes, capsicums, eggplant, and tomatoes.

Foods high in saturated fat – such as full-fat dairy, fatty meat, baked foods. Dairy products

Good food for arthritis

Fatty fish (salmon, herring, sardines) or any other food with omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, soy beans, flax seeds, canola oil and pumpkin seeds.

Why it's a good arthritis food: Omega-3s decrease the production of chemicals that spread inflammation, plus they inhibit enzymes that trigger it – “a dual benefit,” Bonci says.

Fatty fish also contain vitamin D, which helps prevent swelling and soreness.

The only way to find out if something is aggravating your arthritis is to constantly monitor your diet. Do this by keeping a journal of what you have eaten, and what pain you experience. If you begin to notice any patterns (such as joint pain the day after eating a certain food), you will need to try and isolate the cause.

Take the food out of your diet for a week, and see if you experience the same arthritic symptoms. In order to make any correlation, you will need to do this 3 times.