Diet Plan for Arthritis

Nearly 21 million Americans have a form of arthritis -- a chronic condition characterized by joint inflammation, pain and stiffness, according to 2010 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The severity and frequency of your symptoms depend upon the type you have, your overall physical health and whether you take proper lifestyle steps, such as managing your weight and partaking in appropriate exercise, and follow your doctor's guidance. Although a healthy dietary lifestyle isn't known to cure arthritis, it may support other treatments.

Basic Guidelines

Aim for a balanced diet that includes nutritious foods from all vital food groups, including complex carbohydrates, lean protein sources and healthy fats. Because excess body weight can worsen joint pain and inflammation, your diet should either help you reach or maintain a healthy body weight. To lose weight, emphasize lower-calorie, filling foods, such as fresh produce and fiber-rich breads and cereals and limit calorie-rich foods, such as high-fat and sugary foods. Eating more plant-based protein sources, such as legumes, and less animal-derived protein may help reduce gout symptoms by lowering your uric acid levels, according to MayoClinic.com. Although research is limited, a plant-based diet may also help minimize rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Foods affect people with arthritis differently, so limit foods that seem to trigger or aggravate your symptoms.

Helpful Foods

Many foods suit an arthritis-friendly diet. Colorful fruits and vegetables, such as berries, citrus fruits, leafy greens and broccoli, provide rich amounts of antioxidants, which may help boost your immune system strength and lower your risk for illnesses that can worsen pain and stiffness. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends increasing your intake of anti-inflammatory foods, such as onions, garlic, celery, parsley, lemon, pickles, mustard, seeds, nuts and cold-water fish, such as salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines. Replacing refined breads, pasta, cereals and snack foods may enhance appetite control and weight management and reduce inflammation. Drinking eight to 16 8-oz. glasses of water daily may help flush excess uric acid from your body and help prevent gout flareups, says MayoClinic.com. Beans, tofu and lentils provide nutritious alternatives to high-fat meats. If you have gout, flaxseed, walnuts and canola oil provide valuable omega-3 fatty acid-rich alternatives to cold-water fish.

Problem Foods

Coauthors of "Pain-Free Arthritis: A 7-Step Plan for Feeling Better Again," Harris H. McIlwain and Debra Fulghum Bruce recommend avoiding high-glycemic foods, or foods that have a significant impact on your blood sugar levels. Regular soft drinks, candy and cereals and snack foods that list enriched flour as a main ingredient are considered high-glycemic. Meats particularly high in saturated fat, which may increase inflammation, include beef, lamb, sausage, bacon, luncheon meats and dark-meat poultry. Butter, margarine and shortening may pose similar effects. Although rare, some people with arthritis report adverse reactions to night-shade vegetables, which include potatoes, tomatoes and all types of peppers.

Supplements

Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements, which contain substances from pig and shark cartilage, may help relieve osteoarthritis symptoms, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Fish oil supplements may help reduce joint symptoms, particularly if you do not consume cold-water fish, flaxseed, walnuts or canola oil regularly. Supplementing your diet with anti-inflammatory herbs, such as turmeric, ginger and curcumin, may also provide benefits. If you have difficulty meeting your nutrient needs through food alone, a basic multi-vitamin may help fill in the gaps. Dietary supplements may interact with medications and cause side effects, so discuss all supplements with your doctor prior to use.