9 Foods to Avoid With Arthritis

What Exactly Is Arthritis?

Arthritis is an inflammation of joints which can affect one or multiple joints. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis with different causes and treatment methods. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the two most common type of Arthritis. Rheumatic conditions are generally characterized by pain, swelling, aching and stiffness in or around one or more joint. These symptoms can develop gradually with time or can occur suddenly. Certain rheumatic conditions can also involve the immune system and various internal organs of the body.

Foods to avoid in Arthritis

When you have arthritis your body is in an inflammatory state. It is important to eat foods that do not increase your inflammation. What you eat may not increase your inflammation but it can set you up for other chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart diseases and obesity. Following are some food which may trigger more inflammation in your body:

Red Meat:

Red meat contains a high level of omega-6 fatty acid or saturated fat which exacerbate inflammation, pain and contributes towards obesity. Consuming a small quantity of red meat can be beneficial for you which supplies you with nutrients such as iron. However, people with arthritis may get benefit from sticking to one or two servings per week.

Sugar Drinks: Sugary drinks such as a coffee can increase your acidity of the blood, exacerbating inflammation. You should cut back on coffee and other sugary drinks and consume more water, herbal tea and fruit juice.

Sugar and Refined Flour: When you consume sugar your blood sugar level can surge after you've eaten simple carbohydrates that are easily broken down by the body. Spike in your blood sugar level prompts the body to produce pro-inflammatory chemicals which are called as cytokines. Consuming sugar can worsen your symptoms of arthritis and inflammation can affect your joints. Consuming sugar can also lead to weight gain and put stress on your joints.

Fried Foods: Fried foods can increase your inflammations. Whereas cutting back on fried food can reduce your levels of inflammation. Fried food contain toxins which increases oxidation in the body's cells. These foods are high in fat and contributes to obesity and worsens arthritis.

Gluten: Gluten is a protein which is found in grains such as barley, wheat, and rye. All these foods can contribute towards developing inflammation. When a person has celiac disease, eating gluten can cause an immune reaction in the small intestine which can lead to bloating and diarrhea. In some cases, the inflammatory reaction can extend to joints which only aggravates rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

Dairy Products: Consuming dairy products can contribute towards developing of arthritis pain due to the type of protein they contain. In some cases, the protein in this product may irritate the tissue around the joints.

Corn Oil: Many baked goods and snacks have corns or oils which are high in omega-6 fatty acids. These snacks are highly satisfying for taste buds but it also triggers the inflammation.

Tobacco and Alcohol: Intake of tobacco and alcohol can lead to various health problems including some of which may affect the joints. People who smoke are more at risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis whereas people who consume alcohol have a higher risk of developing gout.

Processed foods: Processed foods, require minimal cooking and have preservatives which are loaded with ingredients that can trigger the inflammation. Processed foods are packed with sugar, saturated fats and refined flour which is unhealthy and contributes towards obesity.

Treatment for Arthritis

Arthritis treatment focuses on relieving the patient from the symptoms and improve the function of the joint. There are several different treatments for Arthritis. Combinations of these treatments may be given to patients to determine what works the best for them. Initially, arthritis is treated with medications, therapy and alternative medicines. Surgery is usually the last option in case if all these treatments fail. Joint Repair, Joint fusion and joint replacement surgery are some of the surgical options to treat arthritis.