Typically when people are diagnosed with arthritis, your primary physician will suggest that you go to an orthopedist or rheumatologist or another type of specialist. They’ll specify which type of arthritis you have and tell you to be intentional with physical activity. They’ll even go as far as prescribing Anti-Rheumatic drugs or other medications that help slow the progression and damage. One solution that may be underrated in terms of taking care of arthritis is dietary intervention. Eliminating certain things you put in your body can reduce the symptoms of arthritis and osteoarthritis as well as improve your overall quality of life. In order to know what foods help, it’s important to know what foods to avoid as well. Here is a list of foods that are potentially destroying your bones and making your arthritis worse.
1. Sugar
In general, you should avoid consuming too much sugar, but especially if you have arthritis.
Sugars found in candy, soda, ice cream, and many other foods contain a lot of sugar that are bad for your bones.
Sugary beverages like soda can even significantly increase your risk of arthritis.
There’s a study that shows people ages 20-30 who drank fructose-sweetened beverages five times per week or more were three times more likely to experience far worse arthritis symptoms than those who don’t.
2. Processed Red Meat
There is some research that links red and processed meat to inflammation in the body which is terrible for arthritis symptoms.
A diet heavy in processed red meat can cause high levels of inflammatory markers like interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and homocysteine.
Trying a plant-based diet that doesn’t involve red meat has been shown to improve arthritis symptoms.
RELATED: 5 Habits To Build Stronger Bones
3. Highly Processed Foods
Fast food, breakfast cereal, and baked goods are high in refined grains, sugar, preservatives, and other inflammatory ingredients that can worsen your arthritis symptoms. Diets rich in heavily processed foods can increase the chances of arthritis by causing
