About 22 percent of American adults report having some form of arthritis diagnosis, according to a 2010 report by the Centers of Disease Control. Common forms of arthritis include osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatism, lupus and fibromyalgia. A diet for arthritis and rheumatism can relieve joint inflammation, improve bowel function and improve your weight. Arthritis diets vary from person to person based on body reactions, food preferences and body weight. Speak to a health professional about an appropriate diet for you.
Elimination Diet
An elimination diet helps you identify the foods you consume that add to the inflammatory process associated with arthritis and rheumatism. You follow an elimination diet for 30 days by eliminating all foods containing dairy, corn, gluten, soy, peanuts, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant from your diet, advises Nicole Kuhl, the director of nutrition at LifeSpan Medicine. After 30 days, you start adding one type of food back into your diet every three days. If you experience stiffness in your joints after reintroducing a food, your body is reacting to the food as though it were an allergen. You continue to eat only foods that do not cause your body to start an inflammatory response.
Mediterranean Diet
A diet based on the eating patterns of people who live in and around the Mediterranean Sea typically contains high amounts of fish, whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables. This diet also limits the consumption of red meats, processed foods and sweets. The foods in this diet significantly improved the lives of participants suffering from rheumatoid arthritis by decreasing pain, reducing joint stiffness and increasing independence during activities of daily living, according to a report in the September 2007 issue of "Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases."
Nutrient Diet
A balanced diet provides you with plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, anitioxidants and other vitamins and minerals that support your bones and joints. Focus your diet around fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, skinless poultry, fish and low-fat dairy products. This type of diet improves your nutrient intake while decreasing your intake of saturated fat. A reduction in saturated fat intake may decrease joint pain and stiffness, because these substances increase your body's inflammation response, explains Kuhl. A diet that contains a lot of fresh produce not only supports the health of your bones and joints, it also helps improve colon health and eliminate toxins from your body. Together, these benefits reduce inflammation in your joints and throughout the body, explains Dr. William Kcomt, a rheumatism specialist at Elk Regional Health Center in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. He encourages arthritis sufferers to eat cold-water fish, such as tuna, mackerel, salmon and trout, to relieve joint inflammation because they contain omega-3 fatty acids.
Weight Control
Any diet you use to control your arthritis and rheumatism needs to focus on weight loss or healthy weight maintenance. Excess weight increases the amount of stress placed on your bones and joints, which increases the effects of arthritis. Consult your doctor or use an online calculator to determine the number of calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight. If you need to lose weight, decrease this number by 250 to 500 calories each day so you lose weight gradually and increase your chances of keeping it off.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Prevalence of Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis and Arthritis-Attributable Activity Limitation; October 2010
- Nicole Kuhl, MS, CCN; LifeSpan Medicine; Santa Monica, California
- "Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases"; A Pilot Study of a Mediterranean Type Diet Intervention in Female Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Living in Areas of Social Deprivation in Glasgow; G. McKellar et al.; September 2007
- Dr. William Kckomt Dgn M.D.; Elk Regional Health Center; St. Marys, Pennsylvania
