Arthritis is a health condition that causes inflammation, stiffness, and pain in your joints. It typically gets worse with age. The most common types are osteoarthritis, psoriatic, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Wear and tear of the joints and infections are some of the most common causes of arthritis. While medications are one of the best ways to deal with arthritis, there are some things you can avoid to minimize the symptoms, including
Limiting your sugar intake is healthy, whether you have arthritis or not. Studies indicate that increased sugar levels increase your chances of getting Rheumatoid arthritis and worsen its symptoms. So avoid eating things like ice cream, candy, or sweetened beverages.
A lot of research links red meat to inflammation, which worsens arthritis symptoms. This is because red meat contains high levels of different inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and homocysteine.
It also contains purines, which are food substances that the body changes to uric acid. When there is too much uric acid in your bloodstream, it might result in a gout attack.
Gluten is a protein group present in barley, wheat, triticale, and rye. A lot of studies link gluten to increased inflammation, which worsens the symptoms of arthritis.
A lot of gluten in the food might also result in celiac disease, a condition where eating gluten triggers immune responses in the body, resulting in inflammation and small intestine damage. Many people with celiac disease have higher chances of developing Rheumatoid arthritis.
Processed foods like breakfast cereal, fast foods, and baked foods have high levels of added sugars, refined grains, preservatives, and other ingredients that might increase inflammation.
Therefore, they might increase your chances of getting arthritis by increasing inflammation and causing risk factors like obesity. Also, if you already have arthritis, they could worsen your symptoms.
High alcohol intake increases the damage arthritis does to your spine, especially if you are suffering from axial spondyloarthritis. That is a type of inflammatory arthritis that mainly affects the sacroiliac joints and spinal cord.
Alcohol also increases the severity and occurrence of gout attacks. In addition, a lot of studies also linked excessive alcohol consumption to higher risks of developing osteoarthritis.
Tobacco smoking causes your health to degenerate, which might make it easier for your joints to degenerate, increasing your chances of getting Rheumatoid arthritis.
High salt consumption has several negative effects on people with arthritis. First, it increases inflammation which increases your chances of getting arthritis and also worsens your arthritis symptoms.
High salt intake causes more cartilage breakdown, more inflammatory markers, and worse bone degeneration. A lot of studies state that a high intake of sodium is a risk factor for you getting autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory arthritis.
Some of the foods with high salt levels that you should avoid include pizza, canned soup, shrimp, and certain cheeses.
Dairy products like milk, cheese, and butter contain certain proteins that may worsen arthritis pain because they irritate the affected joints' tissues.
Although healthy to the body, several types of fat increase inflammation, which worsens arthritis symptoms. The Arthritis Foundation recommends that people with arthritis should limit their intake of:
• Omega 6 fatty acids- These cause no harm when taken in moderation, but a lot of people tend to consume them a lot. Some of the sources you should avoid include oils like sunflower, safflower, vegetable, and corn oil.
• Saturated fats- These types of fats should make up for at most 10% of your daily calorie intake. Some of its sources include butter, meat, and cheese.
• Trans fats- These are harmful to your health since they increase bad cholesterol and reduce good cholesterol. They also increase inflammation levels which worsen arthritis symptoms.
These are vegetable groups that have the solanine compound. While it is not confirmed if they trigger arthritis pain or inflammation, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine state that removing them from your diet helps relieve those symptoms.
Some of the nightshade vegetables include potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, chili peppers, and bell peppers.
These are molecules created via the reactions between fats or proteins, and sugars. They are naturally present in uncooked animal foods and come about because of certain cooking methods that involve high heat.
Some of those cooking methods include roasting, frying, searing, grilling, and boiling. Some of the foods with high AGE levels after these cooking methods include steak, chicken, hot dogs, and bacon.
Other foods that might also have high levels of AGEs include American cheese, French fries, mayonnaise, and margarine. When there is a lot of AGE accumulation in the body, it causes oxidative stress and inflammation.
Experts link AGE formation and oxidative stress to disease progression in arthritis patients. To reduce the risks caused by high AGE levels, replace AGE-rich foods with foods like fish, legumes, and vegetables.
This is one of the major things you should avoid if you have arthritis. That is because the excess weight puts a lot of pressure on your joints as you walk.
That increases the possibility of those joints getting damaged, which increases the chances of getting osteoarthritis or worsens its symptoms.
While the pain and inflammation in your joints make you feel like all you want to do is rest, you should try your best to avoid having too much of it. Engage in physical exercises, but be careful not to exert too much pressure on the joints.
Exercises help you lose excess weight that might put a lot of pressure on your joints. It also strengthens your joints and muscles, making them more resistant to wear and tear. Some of the exercises you can do include swimming, walking, strengthening exercises, and stretches.
Wear and tear is the major cause of arthritis, and that might happen over time. However, sustaining an injury to your joints or muscles could increase the rate at which your joints and muscles wear and tear or degenerate.
Therefore, you should avoid any type of injury by protecting yourself when engaging in any sport or physical activity and learning how to work out correctly.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional consultation or advice related to your health or finances. No reference to an identifiable individual or company is intended as an endorsement thereof. Some or all of this article may have been generated using artificial intelligence, and it may contain certain inaccuracies or unreliable information. Readers should not rely on this article for information and should consult with professionals for personal advice.