10 Arthritis Trigger Foods to Avoid
Arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation and joint pain, and is one of the most common conditions afflicting folks in the U.S right now. It is a term that brings together under one roof a number of such conditions and it therefore means that there are a number of types of arthritis out there. These include psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis among others, although the aforementioned are the most common. Arthritis is an autoimmune disease which means that it leads to an immune system attacking healthy parts of your body, this time your joints. It is also a chronic inflammatory disease which means that it doesn’t have a cure. The good news though is that if you have it, you can be able to control the symptoms by medication, typically inflammation and pain-reducing medication. Other therapies such as avoiding foods that may trigger joint pain are also recommended by experts and to this end, this article will look to highlight 10 foods that you should avoid as they are arthritis trigger foods.
Fried and processed foods
Fried and processed foods have been known to trigger inflammation and joint pain, especially if you take into account research by subject matter experts like those over at frontlineer.com. if you have arthritis, you might then want to cut out fried and processed foods from your diet. This includes staying away from junk food such as burgers and fries as well as processed foods such as processed meats and prepared frozen meals.
Corn oil
Foods that have been prepared using corn oil such as most baked goods and snacks are also in the category of arthritis trigger foods you should avoid. Most of these foods are usually quite tasty, but if you have arthritis then this is a sacrifice you must take to starve away inflammation and joint pain. The omega-6 fatty acids in corn oil is what triggers arthritis and as such one should replace corn oil with alternatives such as olive oil which contains the anti-inflammatory omega-3.
Salt and preservatives
Most people don’t know this, but most foods contain excessive salts and preservatives in a bid to preserve their shelve lives. While this may not be something that is such a big deal for other people, for those that have arthritis, you definitely have to keep an eye out for foods with too much salts and preservatives as they trigger arthritis. It is recommended that salt intake be kept at a minimum for those with arthritis, with the same to be followed for preservatives.
Reduce your advanced glycation end product intake
An advanced glycation end product, or AGE, is the toxin that is formed when foods are fried, grilled, pasteurized or heated. The reason why people with arthritis should keep their AGEs to a minimum is because, when they are formed, the body usually requires cytokines to break to break them down. These cytokines are inflammatory messengers and thus trigger inflammation in folks with arthritis. They should therefore stay away from foods prepared at high temperatures.
Alcohol
Alcohol leads to one developing a number of health conditions, including some that cause problems with the joints such as gout. While it is recommended that one keeps alcohol consumption to a minimum under normal circumstances, it is particularly important for folks with arthritis to maintain a healthy diet and as such cut back on their alcohol consumption.
Dairy products
Dairy products, as is covered in detail over at the ever reliable frontlineer.com, contain proteins that are known to irritate the tissue around joints. This is why, though dairy products are known to be, under normal circumstances, healthy, they are part of the foods that folks with arthritis should look to avoid. It is advised that, for such people, that they look to get their protein from vegetables such as legumes like beans as well as spinach, tofu among others.
Sugars
As is discussed above, AGEs cause inflammation as they have to be broken down by the inflammation-triggering cytokines. Sugars are to be avoided, especially in high amounts, as they lead to an increase in the amounts of AGEs in the body. What this means is that one should cut back on foods that are high on sugars such as candies and sweets as well as foods and food products that are high on refined carbs such as flour baked goods. Sodas are also high on sugar and as such should be avoided if you are to reduce the inflammation and joint pain due to your arthritis.
Meat
Just as with dairy products, people with arthritis should also rule out meat as their source of protein. This is because the fats and calories in meat are usually metabolized and broken down into chemicals that cause inflammation in the body, and the joints especially. As was mentioned above, people with arthritis should look at vegetables for their source of protein.
Coffee
Coffee does not only increase the chances of one contacting rheumatoid arthritis, it also leads to an increase in inflammation and joint pain in folks with arthritis as is covered over at frontlineer.com. It is therefore recommended that folks with arthritis stay away from coffee.
Gluten
Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat and related grains like barley, oats as well as rye and has been known to increase chances of inflammation. While most people are going gluten free for health purposes, it is crucial for folks with arthritis to ensure they do so to keep inflammation and joint pain down.
The above are 10 arthritis trigger foods that folks with arthritis should avoid, with more on this and other related topics to be found over at frontlineer.com.
