Foods to Avoid with Arthritis

Are you or any of your loved ones suffering from arthritis? Then you should certainly know what food items should be avoided so that the arthritic condition does not worsen. Since the most prominent feature of arthritis is pain and inflammation, it is important that foods which help in alleviating the condition should be consumed. As a matter of fact, often times it is said that the battle against arthritis can be won with the right kind of foods. The following is a list of foods from which you will want to stay away from, if you are suffering from arthritis.

Foods to Avoid When Suffering From Arthritis

If you are suffering from arthritis, there are some foods which need to be avoided, so that your problem does not aggravate any further. An arthritis diet will mean you might have to forgo your favorite food, but that is necessary for your optimum health.

• When you have arthritis it is important that you maintain a low calcium to phosphorous ratio. The reason behind this is that, if phosphorous content is high, then more calcium is lost from the body. This in turn will aggravate arthritis problems. Phosphorous rich food is red meat, red flesh fish, organ meat like kidney, liver, processed meat and soft drinks. Red meat also contains high levels of uric acid, which aggravates the problem.
• Caffeine is next in the foods to be avoided when suffering from arthritis list. It causes loss of vital minerals and vitamins from the body. As far as possible, avoid decaffeinated drinks as well. Although these drinks are 'decaffeinated', they still contain caffeine.
• Sugar does not absorb nutrients and calcium. Therefore it better be avoided by people who have arthritis. Since soft drinks contain a huge amount of sugar, it is better if they are not consumed at all. The other reason for avoiding soft drinks is the content of phosphorous in them is very high.
• Antacids neutralize the acids in the stomach, which result in the nutrients not getting absorbed in the body. Hence antacids should be avoided as well.
• Fried food and vegetable oil is also a strict no-no when you are suffering from arthritis. Omega 6, present in vegetable oil, worsens inflammation and I am sure you will not want that. Margarine should be avoided as well.
• Gluten contained in wheat, barley, and oats aggravates arthritis, therefore it is advisable to reduce the intake of these foods.
• Alcohol should be avoided at all costs as it hampers calcium absorption in the body.
• Along with sugar, you should also reduce the consumption of salt in your diet, to aid calcium absorption. Along with salt, vinegar should not be a part of your diet as far as possible.
• Food which are high in oxalic acid like cranberries, plums, and chard should also be avoided if you are suffering from arthritis.
• The foods belonging to the night shade family should be avoided as well. The foods, that make to this section are eggplants, red peppers, tomatoes, white potatoes, etc. If you do consume any of these food products, you will want to check, if consuming them causes an averse reaction and the pain and inflammation increases.
• Butter and margarine should be avoided as far as possible as it can further inflame the joints and aggravate the condition.
• Dry roasted nuts are known to aggravate the condition associated with arthritis, although one can have raw nuts like almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, etc.

Foods to Have When Suffering from Arthritis

In arthritis treatment, just as there are foods to avoid while battling arthritis, there are foods which must be consumed. These foods will help in alleviating the symptoms of arthritis.

• The most essential foods which you should have when suffering from arthritis are anti-inflammatory foods like ginger, garlic, turmeric and apples.
• Fruits especially rich in vitamin C should be consumed. The fruits rich in Vitamin C include sweet limes, oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit, peaches, apples, etc.
• Along with Vitamin C, arthritic diet should also be rich in Vitamin A. Foods rich in vitamin A include squash, collard, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc.
• Flax-seed contains Omega 3 essential fatty acids. These seeds can be had in powdered form as well.
• Have nuts and seeds like walnut, almond, linseed, pumpkin seed, etc. which are not roasted and are not salted.
• Pulses, lentils, brown unpolished rice should be consumed.
• People with arthritis benefit a great deal from food rich in magnesium like apricots, bananas, beans, whole grains, leafy vegetables.
• Fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna, trout and sardines are rich sources of Omega 3 essential fatty acids and Vitamin E, which help in alleviating arthritic condition.

Now that you know what foods to avoid with arthritis, it is important that you are well observant about what you eat. This will help you to know which food helps in alleviating the symptoms of arthritis and which of them aggravates the symptoms. The key, however, is to eat whole natural healthy food. Along with arthritis diet and food restrictions, it is important that you follow the other precautionary measures suggested by your health care professional.