If you have osteoarthritis, some foods can help improve your condition. Your diet should include anti-inflammatory foods like leafy green vegetables, seafood, and nuts, but it’s also important to learn which ones to avoid. If you want to reduce the inflammation associated with osteoarthritis, you have to make sure that your grocery list doesn’t include foods that will worsen your condition.
Here are the types of food that you need to avoid because they contain properties that can worsen osteoarthritis symptoms:
Saturated and Trans Fat
Experts have been warning consumers about the negative health effects of saturated fat. A diet that’s high in saturated fat can worsen the inflammation caused by osteoarthritis. Saturated fats can weaken the cartilage further. Minimize or ditch foods that are packed with saturated fat, such as pizza and red meat, and replace them with salad and salmon. Dairy products like butter, cheese, and whole milk are also rich in saturated fat.
You should also avoid eating fried, processed, and fast foods. They may contain trans fats, which are worse than saturated fats, and can make your osteoarthritis worse. Trans fats reduce the levels of good cholesterol, leading to systemic inflammation.
Refined Carbohydrates
Limit eating white bread, white rice, and most baked goods because they contain refined carbohydrates. Refined carbs are known to trigger an increase in cytokines and other inflammatory substances that will worsen the symptoms of your osteoarthritis.
Instead of eating food containing refined carbs, switch to whole grain foods instead. Some excellent options are brown rice, whole wheat bread, and whole-grain cereals.
Processed and Added Sugars
Processed sugars are found in flavored coffees, sweetened beverages, and some juice drinks. They trigger the release of cytokines, which can worsen osteoarthritis inflammation.
Added sugars, which are present in candies and cookies, are bad for osteoarthritis patients. Repeated studies show that excessive consumption of added sugar could result in chronic inflammation. Make sure to check the labels of the food you purchase. Choose food items that contain little or no added sugar.
Processed Meat
Processed meats like hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and salami are inflammatory foods that can worsen your osteoarthritis condition. Aside from that, high consumption of meat can lead to heart disease and cancer.
Omega-6 Fatty Acids (Don’t Confuse These with Your Omega 3’s!)
You should also limit the intake of foods rich in Omega-6 fatty acids. Although small amounts of omega-6 fatty acids help in your body’s growth and development, having too much can induce more inflammation. Unfortunately, many of the seed-derived oils that are now a common dietary inclusion are full of omega-6. These include canola oil, mayonnaise, sunflower oil, and peanut oil.
Ideally, change your cooking style to reduce these oils, and where it is needed, instead use extra virgin olive oil, which is known to contain anti-inflammatory properties that can help improve your symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Monosodium Glutamate
MSG or monosodium glutamate is commonly used in Asian dishes, but it can cause inflammation, too. Research suggests that there’s a link between MSG and inflammation but more studies need to be conducted to prove that claim. Even so, experts still recommend that osteoarthritis patients avoid it as much as they can.
Alcohol
Alcohol is not good for your health, especially when you drink excessively. Not only is it detrimental to your overall well-being, but it’s also not ideal if you’re suffering from osteoarthritis. Alcohol can disrupt the normal function of the digestive system, and this will lead to systemic inflammation.
Gluten
Some people avoid gluten because they are allergic to it. But for patients who have osteoarthritis, gluten can greatly worsen inflammation. Some foods that contain gluten are wheat, gravy, salad dressing, and malt.
Salty Foods
Avoid eating foods that are high in salt. Salt helps balance the fluid in the body, but too much of it can increase fluid retention, worsening the inflammation and swelling of the joints. Foods high in salt include shrimps, canned goods, processed meats, soups, burritos, and pizza.
Osteoarthritis can’t necessarily be cured with the right foods; however, you can manage the symptoms to improve your quality of life. Eating the right foods and avoiding inflammation-causing foods are part of the changes you need to make in order to manage osteoarthritis.
