Arthritis Foods to Avoid

A balanced and healthy diet is an invariable part of arthritis treatment. Arthritis severely affects discs and bones and leads to joint pain, deformation of joints and restricted movement of affected joints. 'Arthritis diet and foods' significantly help reduce the inflammation and joint pain. Inflammatory arthritis indicates several different conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, etc. All these health complications occur when the immune system attacks its own tissues. Therefore these disorders are known as autoimmune diseases. Arthritic patients need to avoid some foods as these foods can aggravate the symptoms considerably.

Foods to be Avoided by Arthritic Patients

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease which causes erosion of joint tissues. It leads to deformity of joints, impaired movement and pain. Foods to avoid in rheumatoid arthritis diet are:

• Fried and grilled foods
• Processed foods
• Beverages like tea, coffee which contain caffeine
• Refined sugars, refined wheat
• Citrus fruits like lemon, lime, orange and berries
• All pasteurized dairy products
• Alcohol, tobacco
• Excessive salt, sugar
• Saturated fats and cooking mediums
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) or hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• Red meat

Gouty Arthritis
Gout is another type of arthritis, a systemic disease, symbolized by high level of uric acid in the bloodstream. Majority of gout patients experience acute attacks of gout in feet which may last for 2 - 3 days. Dietary alterations involve avoiding purine rich foods. Reducing the symptoms of hyperuricemia is possible with properly designed gout diet. Foods to avoid in gouty arthritis diet are:

• All alcoholic drinks including beers, wines and tobacco
• High fat foods
• Hearts, livers, kidneys, mutton, bacon, goose, grouse, veal, turkey, partridge, pheasant, etc.
• Herring, smelt, sardines, salmon, trout, haddock, anchovies, etc.
• Mussels, scallops, yeast, sweetbreads
• Chocolate, table salt, soft drinks, mushrooms, black tea, commercial vinegar, artificial sweeteners
• Kidney beans, lima beans, peas, asparagus, etc.

Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis affects skin as well as joints, therefore psoriatic arthritis diet needs to be carefully designed.

• Foods high in cholesterol and fats
• Sugar and salt
• Alcohol, caffeine, black tea and tobacco
• High protein foods
• Milk products
• Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, etc. which belong to Solanaceae family of plants
• Foods rich in biotin, Vitamin C
• Ginseng
• Refined foods
• Food additives
• Purine rich foods

Osteoarthritis
Degeneration of cartilage leads to joint pain and deformation of joints. The wear and tear of joints during the process of aging results in osteoartritis. Swelling, joint pain and stiffness of the joints are the main symptoms of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis foods to avoid are:

• Saturated fats like animal fats
• Fried foods
• Foods containing partially hydrogenated trans fats, for example, margarine, fries, baked foods
• White flour, rice and pasta
• White sugar, raw sugar
• Processed foods, ready to eat prepackaged snacks, fast food
• Alcohol, caffeine, tobacco
• Corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, soy-based oils

Remember, foods that cause allergic reactions should be avoided if you are suffering from any type of arthritis. It is necessary to avoid all the foods mentioned in the lists above. Arthritic patients should watch the symptoms carefully. Foods that aggravate the symptoms should be avoided completely. It has been noticed that milk products, wheat products, acidic foods and alcoholic drinks aggravate the symptoms of arthritis. Instead of wheat bread, a light rye bread or oat-based cereals can be included in the daily diet. Dairy products promote fat deposits in the body which can clog up the circulation in the body. Therefore they should be avoided. Arthritis, being a chronic disease, arthritis diet plays a crucial role in arthritis treatment.