The Best Diet for Arthritis

Arthritis 

Do we need Diet for Arthritis?

Having a healthy diet is essential for everyone most especially for people who are affected by arthritis. There have been studies that showed people who are overweight and their diet influence symptoms of different kinds of arthritis. With this, there have been much importance given out to people affected with arthritis to ensure a balanced diet and keep a healthy weight in order to reduce the symptoms of arthritis. A lot of people are affected with disease and because diet is a crucial part towards alleviating pain and other symptoms, people have been looking for the best diet for arthritis.

Diet for Arthritis is a healthy diet plan for Arthritis people:

People who are affected with arthritis need to maintain a healthy diet in order to give their bodies the right balance of nutrients. A healthy diet can actually help in lowering the amount of arthritis medications that a person may need to take in. There are certain types of food that may actually affect arthritis. Basically, an arthritis diet needs to be low in fat, less in sugar and more on fruits and vegetables. Oily fish may be part of the diet because it contains omega-3 fatty acids and foods that are rich in calcium and iron. There is no single arthritis diet because certain foods react differently from one person to another so the best diet for arthritis would be something that is balanced and is healthy for you.

What Foods are ideal to be part of Diet for Arthritis?

Arthritis diet 

One of the common symptoms of arthritis is inflammation and because of this the most effective way of fighting this disease is by fighting inflammation. Although there are medications for this disease, nutrition still plays a huge impact and anti-inflammatory foods are recommended. Apart from nutrition, being on the right weight is also important because being overweight puts stress to the joints which happen to be the most affected part of arthritis. Generally speaking, there are lots of foods that would help in arthritis and we could come up with such a long list. To better understand this, it would be best to know what essential nutrients these foods contain and how it can help .

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids:

This is polyunsaturated fat brings a lot of health benefits to a person and one of which is fighting inflammation. It works by suppressing the production of cytokines and enzymes that wear away the cartilage. There have been studies that people affected with arthritis that included this in their diet feel stronger, lesser joint swelling and stiffness and less pain. Fish, such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, is the best source of this nutrient.

• Extra-virgin olive oil:

Another good fat referred to as monounsaturated fat can be found at extra-virgin olive oil or EVOO. This good fat helps protect the body from inflammation because it contains antioxidants referred to as polyphenols. EVOO is a recommended for cooking and a better substitute for vegetable oil or butter.

• Vitamin C:

This nutrient is essential for ensuring that the collagen (a major component of the cartilage) is healthy. Studies have shown that people with low vitamin C intake tend to have greater risk of developing arthritis. But if you happen to have osteoarthritis, get this nutrient from food sources and not vitamin supplements because it may worsen this type of arthritis. Vitamin C may be taken from fruits such as strawberries, grapefruit, lemons and papayas.

• Spices

• Ginger:

this spice contains chemicals that are equaled to anti-inflammatory medications thus giving a soothing effect to the person affected but because it can also act as a blood thinner, it would be best to work with your physician on this.

• Turmeric:

also called curcumin, this mustard-yellow colored spice is found in Asia and is mainly found in yellow curry.

What foods should I avoided Diet for Arthritis?

Arthritis symptoms 

Now that you know what foods should be included in your diet for arthritis, for sure you would also want to find out which foods to avoid as there are really certain types of foods that may aggravate the disease. The following should be avoided when on diet for arthritis:

• Eggplant

• Tomatoes

• Potatoes

• Dairy products

• Foods high in saturated fat – fatty meat, baked foods, full-fat dairy

• Foods that are high in sugar and salt

• Additives and preservatives

• Caffeinated and carbonated drinks

 Apart from these foods, there are also other things that can aggravate arthritis and these are smoking and alcohol.

 More Tips for an Diet for Arthritis:

As mentioned earlier, alcohol should be avoided when on this type of diet because since a person will be taking in medications, alcohol can affect how the drugs work. Alcohol may also weaken your bones and even add in extra pounds because it contains sugar. Don’t forget to include fiber in your diet in order to avoid constipation and keep your bowels regular.

The best diet for arthritis will definitely be the one that will help a person affected with the disease to fight it off while staying healthy. Early on, when arthritis is diagnosed there should be a clear instruction from physicians and the rest of the health team on which foods are to be avoided and what are to be included in the diet for arthritis. Being conscious of your food choices will definitely be a  big step towards having the best diet for arthritis.

Arthritis treatment 

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