Arthritis is a common condition that affects the joints of your body. The foods you eat are essential to how your body functions and may impact your pain levels. Therefore it is important that you eat a variety of healthy foods and make sure you are getting the required vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that can help your body function at its optimal level.
Identification
Arthritis is a condition in which your body's joints become swollen and painful to move through a normal range of motion. The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the result of damage to cartilage and other joint surfaces and correlates with aging. In rheumatoid arthritis, your body's immune system attacks your joints and causes the symptoms associated with the condition.
Diet and Arthritis
If you suffer from joint pain caused by arthritis, eating a healthy diet is very important to your overall health. The pain of arthritis can affect your diet, because fatigue and pain can lower your appetite and the swollen joints and loss of movement may lead you to avoid foods that need more time or effort to prepare and cook. An arthritis diet should be composed of seven basic guidelines. First, eat a variety of foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, nuts, seeds and healthy vegetable oil. Second, maintain an ideal weight. Excess weight can place more stress on joints that are already sore and damaged. Third, avoid foods high in fat and cholesterol, which include animal products and foods with high saturated and trans fat. Fourth, avoid foods high in sugar to help control insulin and contribute to a healthy body weight. Fifth, eat foods that contain healthy fiber and starch, like fruits and vegetables. Sixth, avoid high levels of sodium to lower your risk of heart disease. Seventh, limit excess alcohol and drink in moderation. If you eat a variety of foods like those listed above and avoid processed foods, you will ensure that your body has all the essential nutrients that it needs to function properly. This will lower your risk for developing chronic illness.
Pain Relief
No foods have been shown to specifically exacerbate the symptoms of arthritis, but if certain foods make your symptoms worse, avoid them. The diet that is recommended for people with arthritis is not specifically for pain relief but is instead designed for healthy nutrition. This diet does contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish and some plants like flaxseed. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower the risk of arthritis and help with pain levels.
Considerations
Arthritis pain can be very uncomfortable and your doctor will work with you to make sure that any medications or other treatments help relieve your symptoms. According to the experts at MayoClinic.com, natural ways to control your arthritis pain include exercise, weight loss and using hot and cold to soothe sore muscles and treat inflammation. Forms of alternative medicine that may work include chiropractic care, acupuncture, tai chi and yoga. Some natural foods that may help include ginger for osteoarthritis pain, avocado-soybean unsaponifiables from avocado and soybean oil for cartilage damage and glucosamine and chondroitin for osteoarthritis pain.
