What Foods, Vitamins, Or Vitamin Supplements Can Cause Sore Joints?

Joints are the parts of your body that allow movement to occur. Sore or painful joints can be very debilitating, and many people use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to manage such conditions. However, these drugs can cause side effects such as gastrointestinal distress. Sometimes, the food you eat may be causing sore and painful joints, and removing the offending food from your diet will be very beneficial.

Meat

As reported in the February 2004 issue of "The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society," aggregate data from 15 countries indicates that consumption of meat, offal and meat fat can trigger rheumatoid arthritis. Possible agents might be iron, nitrite and/or meat fat content. On the other hand, oily fish can be beneficial for joint health because they are high in the omega 3 fats EPA and DHA, which are anti-inflammatory.

Food Allergies

The September 2006 issue of "Gut" reports that patients with rheumatoid arthritis may be more sensitive to food allergens, and these can exacerbate joint symptoms. In fact some rheumatoid arthritis patients report an increase in the severity of symptoms following consumption of specific foods. The 2006 study found that some, but not all, of the patients were sensitive to cow's milk, cereals, hen's eggs, codfish and pork. You can try to eliminate a suspected food for a week and see whether your symptoms improve.

Coffee

Whether or not coffee consumption can cause sore joints is controversial. The January 2002 issue of "Arthritis and Rheumatism" found that decaffeinated coffee can exacerbate rheumatoid arthritis while caffeinated coffee has no effect. On the other hand, the November 2003 issue of the same journal reports a study which found that both caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated coffee consumption had no effect on joint soreness and pain. If you suspect that coffee is causing sore joints, you can try to eliminate it from your diet for a week and see if symptoms improve.

Vitamins

Vitamins are essential for healthy joints, especially vitamins C, D, and the B vitamins. However a vitamin overdose can be dangerous and cause a number of problems including sore and painful joints. Vitamins C, D and the mineral calcium have a particular tendency to cause joint problems when overdosed. You should always consult your doctor when starting a vitamin and mineral supplement.