Why You Should Completely Avoid These Foods

Arthritis is no longer news. It is a health condition that affects almost everyone, regardless of the age or status of the individual. However, mostly old people experience this health condition, and the pain can cause discomfort. It might even contribute to “the panic of growing older.”

Arthritis is a pain in the joint, usually caused by inflammation, and there are different types of arthritis. In fact, studies have demonstrated that there are over 100 types of arthritis. These types vary and have their own unique ways of damaging the joints. According to research, some kinds of arthritis may even cause damage and pain to other parts of the body outside the joints.

 One of the most ordinary kinds of arthritis is osteoarthritis, a non-inflammatory kind that is said to affect approximately 47% of women and about 40% of men throughout their lifetime. On the other hand, psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, in contrast to osteoarthritis, are inflammatory, quite severe, and can be said to be autoimmune diseases. More types of inflammatory arthritis include gout.

In recent times, research has shown that following some kinds of diet can help improve symptoms and pains of inflammatory arthritis. In addition, crossing out certain foods from your food list can also help reduce the impact of the condition on your joints as well as the severity of inflammatory arthritis, which would, in return, improve the quality of your life. This here is what we are concerned about within this article. The following are foods and beverages you must avoid if you have been diagnosed with arthritis or experienced any pain similar to that which has been described as pain.

8 Beverages and Foods to Avoid

Added Sugars

Added sugar generally is bad for the health. They are major triggers of severe health conditions and can reduce the quality of your life. In addition, as someone suffering from arthritis, it is best to avoid all kinds of sugars on the one hand; though not completely, as you can eat them in very minute amounts, who on the other hand, it is best to completely avoid added sugars and foods that contain added sugars. Some foods that are packed with added sugars include; soda, candy, ice cream, and barbeque, among others.

Studies carried out on a few people with arthritis showed that when they ate foods that were sugar-sweetened, their symptoms worsened. Also, for those who do not have arthritis, heavy sugar consumption, as well as the consumption of foods that contain added sugars, can increase your risk of developing arthritis. A survey on a few middle-aged adults showed that those who consumed sugar-sweetened foods 3 times per week experienced slight symptoms of arthritis, which may increase over time if proper care is not taken. There is a higher tendency that those young adults who consume sweetened foods and beverages at least 3 times a week would develop arthritis later in their lifetime, much more than young adults who do not consume sugar-sweetened beverages and foods.

Processed Red Meats

Although there have been many myths about red meats. However, the stories you hear about processed ones are not myths. They are, in fact, true. Processed foods are quite dangerous. The process of processing them involves the inclusion of certain dangerous additives that can harm vital organs in the body. Consuming processed meat is known to be a risk factor for arthritis. This is because processed red meats, just like every other processed food, contain inflammatory markers in extremely high amounts. Some of the inflammatory markers include; interleukin, homocysteine, and C-reactive protein. Processed red meat increases the severity of inflammatory arthritis.

Conversely, foods that are plant-based have proven to help alleviate symptoms of inflammatory arthritis.

Gluten-rich Foods

Gluten-rich foods can be unhealthy for people who have arthritis. It is a group of proteins that is packed in foods like wheat, triticale, barley, rye, among others. Research has shown that consuming gluten-free foods can help improve the symptoms of arthritis because the gluten-rich ones contain inflammatory properties that can worsen your already discomforting symptoms. In addition, people with celiac disease are also liable to developing inflammatory arthritis if they consume gluten-rich foods. The same goes for people who have been diagnosed with autoimmune disease.

People who follow vegetarian and vegan diets have shown promising results as they have experienced no single symptom of inflammatory arthritis. Meanwhile, it is important to know that following a gluten-free diet alone is not enough to tackle and prevent or manage arthritis. You have to combine it with other management procedures and methods.

Processed Foods

Fast foods, baked goods, and breakfast cereal are all refined and processed foods. Packed in them are dangerous ingredients like preservatives, added sugar, and others, all of which have inflammatory tendencies, which can, in return, lead to or worsen the symptoms of arthritis, as well as lead to other health conditions like obesity.

Studies carried out on about 56 people showed that people who consume highly processed foods have higher tendencies of developing severe health conditions that are not just limited to arthritis alone, but also other conditions like heart diseases, poor sugar regulation in the body, higher levels of glycated hemoglobin among others.

In other words, processed foods would not only deposit inflammation into your body. They would also worsen your general health and reduce the quality of your life.

Alcohol

Heavy alcohol consumption since time immemorial has been discovered to be the cause of many severe illnesses today. Alcohol may worsen the symptoms of arthritis, and people who have been diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis have been advised to completely avoid alcohol consumption. Research showed that people who consume large amounts of alcohol may experience a spinal cord-damaging kind of arthritis, as well as increase the risks made the severity of other conditions like gout attacks. More studies found that osteoarthritis is also a resultant effect of heavy alcohol use.

Some Vegetable Oils

Vegetable oils are healthy, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are healthier. However, this is for other people, asides from those suffering from arthritis, inflammatory arthritis. Foods containing high omega 6 and low omega 3 fats can worsen arthritis symptoms. This is because these oils and dietary fats can worsen the symptoms of arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. This is induced when there is an imbalance between the omega 3 and omega 6 ratio in the body. Such imbalance CA leads to inflammation in the body, particularly in the joint.

In order to manage inflammatory arthritis, try to reduce your consumption of omega 6 fatty foods while increasing your intake of omega 3 fatty ones. Foods like fatty fish that are rich in omega 3 can help improve symptoms of arthritis.

Salty Foods

Salt is the reason we have tasty foods. As unpleasant as it seems when eaten raw, it adds flavor to our foods. Generally, a high consumption rate of salt can trigger major health conditions. Thus, everyone with or without arthritis is advised to cut down on their salt intake level. When preparing your own meals, ensure the salt is measured and added in moderate amounts. Avoiding fast and processed foods would also help reduce your salt intake, as most foods that are high in salt are processed and fast foods. Some of these foods include; processed meats, canned soups, some kinds of cheeses, pizza, and a host of other processed foods.

A low salt food is known to improve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and help reduce inflammatory markers in the body. Also, recent studies showed that high sodium intake may not only increase arthritis risks it may also lead to other autoimmune diseases.

Foods High in AGEs

AGE is an abbreviated version of Advanced Glycation End products. They are created through a process of the reactions between sugars and fats or protein. Naturally, according to experts, they are packed in raw animal foods and become fully formed when the raw animal foods are cooked. Grilled, pan-fried, roasted, or broiled animal foods contain this molecule. Some of the riches AGEs dietary sources include; roasted, fried, grilled chicken, bacon, and hot dog. Others include French fries, margarine, American cheese, and mayonnaise.

When AGEs get deposited in the body in large amounts, inflammation and oxidative stress set in, both of which are consequential risk factors of arthritis. When they accumulate in the bones, osteoarthritis begins to develop. By replacing AGEs foods with rich, organic whole foods like vegetables, legumes, fish, fruits, and so on, the AGE load in your body would reduce.

Conclusion

In conclusion, managing arthritis involves dietary intervention. Some foods can help prevent and manage arthritis, while some other ones are best to be avoided when you are diagnosed with this condition. Those you should avoid are quite important as they would help reduce the severity of your symptoms.