Arthritis is a condition that causes the inflammation of one or more joints. This occurrence is common in old age and deteriorates and stiffens with age. Therefore, people try to look up long-lasting natural ways such as foods to avoid arthritis to combat it.
Arthritis commonly occurs in the joints of the knees, hips, spine, or hands.
You must be wondering how food helps to cure or aggravate arthritis. A balanced diet may not make your arthritis disappear but it might leave you well equipped to take care of it.
Certain food items are anti-inflammatory in nature which if consumed can help reduce arthritis inflammation in joints. Incorporating antioxidants and certain vitamins like E, A, and C can prevent further injury to your joints.
People with arthritis usually struggle with cholesterol issues. Being on the right diet helps fix these issues and thereby arthritis.
A balanced diet also helps deal with overweight issues. More weight puts more pressure on the joints.
What are the foods to avoid arthritis?
Sugar
Sugar is not your good friend when you have a condition such as arthritis. Refined sugar can be found in obvious sweet items such as cake and candy. However, you can also expect sugar in items that are illusionary to that extent, for instance, sauce.
People with sweet tooth ought to stay away from sugar as it aggravates their arthritis symptoms.
Red Meat and Processed Food
Some studies state that processed and red meat might lead to inflammation. Additionally, it aggravates the inflammation in the joints.
Diets heavy in red and processed meat contain homocysteine, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein. These qualify as inflammatory markers.
Various studies have shown that red meat consumption is a risk factor for those who have arthritis.
Plant-based diets on the other hand are very useful to treat arthritis.
Gluten
Gluten is a protein that consists of Rye, wheat, barley, and triticale.
Some researchers believe that gluten increases inflammation and that going gluten-free may ease joint inflammation.
Some studies observe that a gluten-free diet significantly improved inflammation. However, more studies are yet to confirm whether a gluten-free diet has significant benefits for people with arthritis.
Alcohol
Alcohol is said to increase the intensity of gout attacks. People with arthritis should avoid drinking heavily at all costs.
Researches are still trying to develop a link between arthritis and alcohol. However, it is prudent to stay away from it as there are adverse effects of alcohol consumption on joints.
Processed Food
Processed food has a large number of refined grains which is not healthy for the body. It contains preservatives and sugar which is inflammatory.
Additionally, processed food increases the risk of obesity and other diseases. Extra weight on the body aggravates joint pain. Therefore, it is best to steer clear of processed food.
Sodium rich food
A study of mice reveals that people with arthritis are better off on a low sodium diet.
Studies observed two groups of mice one on a low sodium diet and the other on a high sodium diet. The studies reveal that mice on the low sodium diet had less bone degradation than the ones on a high sodium diet.
This study suggests that people with arthritis are in danger of severe inflammation if put on a high sodium diet.
Vegetable oil
Imbalance in Omega 6 fats and Omega 3 fats in your diet may increase your chances of inflammation.
Reducing consumption of omega 6 fats for instance vegetable oil and increasing the consumption of omega 3 fats like fish will improve arthritis conditions.
High AGEs
AGE stands for advanced glycation end products. These molecules are created when fats and sugar react.
High accumulation of AGEs in the body leads to inflammation and oxidative stress. People with arthritis have high levels of AGEs present in the body which is detrimental to their condition.
Some high AGE content foods are fried, grilled, roasted meat. This also contains everyone’s favourite french fries and mayo. Replacing this with fish, legumes, and fruits reduces the AGE content in your body.
Foods good for arthritis
Scientists and researchers believe that there are certain food ingredients outside of foods to avoid arthritis that help reduce arthritis inflammation.
Green tea
This is a magic ingredient that people have to alleviate any pain they are dealing with. Its herbal properties and antioxidants help to reduce joint pain.
Studies on animals confirm that green tea is a useful ingredient to alleviate joint pain.
Fish
Fishes like salmon, sardines, mackerel, and tuna are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. Two to three servings of such omega 3 rich food once a week keeps arthritis inflammation at bay. Additionally, it protects the heart.
In case you wish to purchase affordable canned fish then make sure you choose one with less sodium.
Fruits
Consuming fruits rich in antioxidants is a very good diet habit. Strawberries, cranberries, blackberries will give arthritis fighting power. It doesn’t matter if you consume these fruits in their dehydrated or frozen state. They serve their purpose in either state.
Apples and pomegranates are good sources of fibre and are rich in antioxidants.
Vegetables
Anti-inflammatory vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, mushroom, Brussel sprouts are healthy and good for joint pain. They help calm joint inflammation.
Nuts
Nuts are splendid for an extra boost of protein. They are low in cholesterol and saturated fats.
Consider replacing meat with nuts and you’ll experience a reduction in your joint pain. Choose unsalted nuts to keep the sodium level in check.
Dark chocolate
This one is not for everyday folks so do not indulge liberally. Dark chocolate is only for the days when you feel like cheating on your meals a little.
If you wish to have chocolate then dark chocolate is your best bet. It contains 70% higher cocoa content than regular chocolate. Additionally, the amount of sugar content is low here. Have small portions of dark chocolate for your cheat meals and this will help you to limit your calories and saturated fat consumption.
Final thoughts
We hope that this post on foods to avoid arthritis brought you some insightful information. Let the dark chocolate be our little secret that your doctor doesn’t need to know of! However, remember folks when going for cheat meals, moderation is the key.
