The National Institute of Health estimates that over 40 million Americans have some form of arthritis. If you are one of those suffering from arthritis, you may want to start paying more attention to what you eat. The connection between arthritis and diet is a complex one, and not all types of arthritis react the same way to dietary changes. However, eating a healthier diet will improve your overall heath, which in turn may help your arthritis pain.
Arthritis and Weight Loss
Before you start thinking about what foods you should be adding or limiting to your diet, consider losing weight if you are overweight. Body fat is capable of producing hormones and chemicals that can increase inflammation. Also, carrying extra weight puts more stress on your joints, which can cause more pain to an already inflamed joint. In fact, every pound you lose relieves 4 pounds of pressure from your knees. Begin by keeping track of your calorie intake, and make sure your calories burned or more than your calories consumed.
Diet and Gout
Gout, a form of arthritis, has been proven to improve with diet modifications. The purpose of the gout diet is to lower your uric acid concentration in your blood. You will still need medication to control it, but the diet may help decrease the number and severity of your attacks. The Mayo Clinic recommends limiting animal proteins, alcohol, high-fat products and sugar. You will also want to add more plant-based proteins, low-fat dairy products, complex carbohydrates and drink plenty of water to flush the uric acid from your system.
Foods to Avoid
Just as there are trigger foods for gout, other forms of arthritis can also be aggravated by certain foods. To determine what foods might be increasing your pain, you will need to keep track of your food intake. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine website recommends you avoid the major arthritis food triggers: dairy products, corn, meats, gluten, eggs, citrus fruits, potatoes, tomatoes, nuts and coffee. After one month, if your symptoms have improved, then begin reintroducing the eliminated foods one at a time, every two days. If your joints flare up, eliminate the food that caused the problem.
Foods to Include
Certain foods help to reduce some aspect of inflammation when added to the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown in more than a dozen studies to decrease inflammation. Try including salmon, herring, mackerel, omega-3 fortified eggs, ground flaxseed and walnuts. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat that contains antioxidants that protect the body against inflammation. Use olive oil instead of butter, margarine or vegetable oil when cooking. Inflammation produces free radicals that damage your cells. Eating a diet high in antioxidants, such as vitamin C, selenium, carotenes and bioflavonoids may help prevent arthritis, and slow its progression to relieve pain. Ginger and turmeric are two spices that have anti-inflammatory effects. Try adding ginger into stir-fries or tea, and eat more curries, as turmeric is the main ingredient in these dishes.
