Weekend Plus Desk :
re you one of 53 million people who have arthritis? Arthritis is the collective name for over 100 joint diseases affecting both adults and children. It can cause joint pain, swelling, inflammation, and affects your range of motion. It can also get worse as you age and may even begin to harm your organs and skin.
When it comes to choosing food that helps to alleviate symptoms, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, there are food ingredients that tend to accelerate, worsen, or alter your arthritic symptoms.
Fried Food
Everyone loves a treat of deep-fried food from time to time, but how much you have can be the difference between a body that’s free from inflammation, and one that’s causing you a lot of pain and discomfort! Fried food is in no way beneficial for your health. It can lead to diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, and causes inflammation which affect your joints. However, new research suggests that eating less fried food can reduce inflammation which has to be beneficial for your bones!
Corn Oil
If you like to indulge in bakery goods from time to time, then you may notice it affects your arthritic joints negatively. That might be because they contain corn oil which can trigger inflammation in your bones. Pay attention to ingredients in your snacks from now on. Make sure that instead of corn oil, it containsomega-3 fats such as olive oil which is an anti-inflammatory option instead.
Cigarettes
We already know that cigarettes are harmful to our overall health, but they can also cause inflammation which is one of the worst problems for people living with arthritis. While cigarettes are not necessarily food, they are something that close to 37 million people in the United States has every day. If you aren’t going to quit cigarettes for the health of your lungs, you can at least do it for your joints. Smokers are also more at risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis than those who do not smoke.
Candy
A sweet treat from time to time is not going to do any long-term damage, but include it in your daily diet, and you may run into problems! Candy and other high-sugar sweets are responsible for many health conditions such as poor dental health, cellular aging, and diabetes, but they can also be responsible for gout.
Cheese & Dairy
There is a delicate balance between helpful and harmful with milk and related products. However, if you are typically quite sensitive to food products with regard to your arthritic symptoms, then cutting out the cheese and milk might be something you may like to consider. Dairy, for some people, can cause and enhance joint and arthritic pain due to their proteins. While other people have no problem at all, you may like to cut out different dairy options and see if your discomfort worsens or gets better.
Trans Fats
Out of all fats available for consumption, trans fat is by far the worst. It can cause inflammation which can affect your joint health and increase your likelihood of developing chronic conditions as well. Trans fat has no benefits and is prevalent in many fried and snack foods. According to Harvard Medical School studies, there is also no confirmed ‘safe’ consumption level. Avoid it completely and don’t eat food with ‘partially hydrogenated oils’ on the packaging.
MSG
MSG, also known as Mono-Sodium Glutamate, is a leading player in joint inflammation and liver health. While its primary goal is to flavor food, it’s not doing your body any favors as it goes about it.
Unfortunately, MSG is in many common foods – especially Asian cuisine and sauces. However, some manufacturers also put it in deli meat, soup, and even salad dressing. Avoid it at all costs – particularly if you suffer from a joint condition.
Refined Carbohydrates
While carbohydrates are not the worst offenders for inflammation, refined carbs are. White rice, bread, and even white potatoes can all cause inflammation that affects the health of your joints.
These foods are known as high-glycemic index foods, and too much of them can also escalate the rate of obesity. Do your joints and body a favor and opt for wholegrain variety foods instead. Your body and pain levels will thank you for it.
Alcohol
A tipple of liquor every now and again is not going to cause your body too much grief, but if you suffer from a joint condition such as arthritis, you are best to consume in moderation. As most people know, alcohol can do tremendous damage to your liver. When you disrupt your liver, you can then suffer from pain and inflammation in your joints. However, there are some upsides to alcohol consumption. Some research shows that up to 10 grams of alcohol per day may be able to reduce your risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
Once you’ve got arthritis, you’ve got it for life, and you will find there are times where your pain levels are at their highest. While medication can go a long way to relieving your pain and discomfort, there are also ingredients and food that can help or hinder it too. Pay attention to these nine items above. Everything from cigarettes to carbohydrates can be causing inflammation, and you may not even realise it. Take control of your diet and notice the difference!
re you one of 53 million people who have arthritis? Arthritis is the collective name for over 100 joint diseases affecting both adults and children. It can cause joint pain, swelling, inflammation, and affects your range of motion. It can also get worse as you age and may even begin to harm your organs and skin.
When it comes to choosing food that helps to alleviate symptoms, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, there are food ingredients that tend to accelerate, worsen, or alter your arthritic symptoms.
Fried Food
Everyone loves a treat of deep-fried food from time to time, but how much you have can be the difference between a body that’s free from inflammation, and one that’s causing you a lot of pain and discomfort! Fried food is in no way beneficial for your health. It can lead to diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, and causes inflammation which affect your joints. However, new research suggests that eating less fried food can reduce inflammation which has to be beneficial for your bones!
Corn Oil
If you like to indulge in bakery goods from time to time, then you may notice it affects your arthritic joints negatively. That might be because they contain corn oil which can trigger inflammation in your bones. Pay attention to ingredients in your snacks from now on. Make sure that instead of corn oil, it containsomega-3 fats such as olive oil which is an anti-inflammatory option instead.
Cigarettes
We already know that cigarettes are harmful to our overall health, but they can also cause inflammation which is one of the worst problems for people living with arthritis. While cigarettes are not necessarily food, they are something that close to 37 million people in the United States has every day. If you aren’t going to quit cigarettes for the health of your lungs, you can at least do it for your joints. Smokers are also more at risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis than those who do not smoke.
Candy
A sweet treat from time to time is not going to do any long-term damage, but include it in your daily diet, and you may run into problems! Candy and other high-sugar sweets are responsible for many health conditions such as poor dental health, cellular aging, and diabetes, but they can also be responsible for gout.
Cheese & Dairy
There is a delicate balance between helpful and harmful with milk and related products. However, if you are typically quite sensitive to food products with regard to your arthritic symptoms, then cutting out the cheese and milk might be something you may like to consider. Dairy, for some people, can cause and enhance joint and arthritic pain due to their proteins. While other people have no problem at all, you may like to cut out different dairy options and see if your discomfort worsens or gets better.
Trans Fats
Out of all fats available for consumption, trans fat is by far the worst. It can cause inflammation which can affect your joint health and increase your likelihood of developing chronic conditions as well. Trans fat has no benefits and is prevalent in many fried and snack foods. According to Harvard Medical School studies, there is also no confirmed ‘safe’ consumption level. Avoid it completely and don’t eat food with ‘partially hydrogenated oils’ on the packaging.
MSG
MSG, also known as Mono-Sodium Glutamate, is a leading player in joint inflammation and liver health. While its primary goal is to flavor food, it’s not doing your body any favors as it goes about it.
Unfortunately, MSG is in many common foods – especially Asian cuisine and sauces. However, some manufacturers also put it in deli meat, soup, and even salad dressing. Avoid it at all costs – particularly if you suffer from a joint condition.
Refined Carbohydrates
While carbohydrates are not the worst offenders for inflammation, refined carbs are. White rice, bread, and even white potatoes can all cause inflammation that affects the health of your joints.
These foods are known as high-glycemic index foods, and too much of them can also escalate the rate of obesity. Do your joints and body a favor and opt for wholegrain variety foods instead. Your body and pain levels will thank you for it.
Alcohol
A tipple of liquor every now and again is not going to cause your body too much grief, but if you suffer from a joint condition such as arthritis, you are best to consume in moderation. As most people know, alcohol can do tremendous damage to your liver. When you disrupt your liver, you can then suffer from pain and inflammation in your joints. However, there are some upsides to alcohol consumption. Some research shows that up to 10 grams of alcohol per day may be able to reduce your risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
Once you’ve got arthritis, you’ve got it for life, and you will find there are times where your pain levels are at their highest. While medication can go a long way to relieving your pain and discomfort, there are also ingredients and food that can help or hinder it too. Pay attention to these nine items above. Everything from cigarettes to carbohydrates can be causing inflammation, and you may not even realise it. Take control of your diet and notice the difference!
