Osteoarthritis, being the most common arthritis out there, is a chronic condition that targets the joints in your body. This can cause stiffness in your knees, hands, spine, and hips. It can make anyone’s day a bit annoying, given that it’s still in its early stages, and can continuously grow to be a tremendous nuisance while bringing pain to the person affected.
There are a few known causes of osteoarthritis, and through osteoarthritis clinical trials recommended by health experts, it was distinguished that foods or food products are one of the most common causes of osteoarthritis inflammation.
The most common cause is that you may get osteoarthritis from inherited genes, and some may also get it from injuries. Now, this article was made so that you can make a list of what food or food products you must keep your distance from in order for you to avoid osteoarthritis inflammation.
Foods to Stay Away From To Avoid Osteoarthritis Inflammation
1. Sugary Foods and Drinks
A lot of health professionals say that sugars must be limited and kept to a minimum consumption. Now that you know you have arthritis, you should pay attention to this saying, or you can even call it a warning if you may say. A ton of people also often say that, through their personal experience, sugary foods and drinks can actually cause and trigger osteoarthritis. Even a number of research backs this up because sugars have an inflammatory protein called cytokines which causes further inflammation to the body’s joints.
These are a few examples of sugary foods and beverages you need to keep out of reach from those hands:
- Cakes
- Sodas
- Chocolates
- Cookies
- Ice Cream
- Maple Syrup
- Milkshakes
- Candies
2. Dairy Products
Dairy food groups are actually known to give health benefits with nutrients such as protein, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium. But it can also be a cause of inflammation because it contains a milk protein called casein. So think twice before you consume any dairy products if you want to avoid the inflammation of your osteoarthritis.
These are the example of dairy products that you should stay away from:
- Butter
- Cheese
- Fresh Milk
- Yogurt
- Kefir
- Margarine
- Mayonnaise
- Cream Cheese
3. Processed Foods and Canned Goods
Although these types of foods make our lives much easier, especially when on busy schedules, we still must refrain from eating too much of it because it can worsen osteoarthritis inflammation. Canned goods sometimes have a lot of added sugar and salt to preserve their food content. Processed foods, on the other hand, contain high amounts of trans fat as a means to preserve them from going bad. These ingredients used for food preservation are triggers for your inflammation.
Examples of Processed Foods and Canned Goods you should avoid:
- Canned Food Syrup
- Canned Meat
- Canned Fish
- Bacon
- Ham
- Sausages
- Pizza
- Smoked Meat
- Fast Foods
4. Red Meats
Many research studies have made it clear that red meats are high triggers of inflammation for it has high levels of cholesterol. It may worsen the symptoms associated with osteoarthritis, like increase the swelling in your joints. It’s better if you choose white meats because red meats are known to have high saturated fat. Doctors have suggested making white meat as a substitute for red meat.
Examples of white meat that you can use as a substitute for red meat for protein intake:
- Chicken
- FIsh
- Turkey
5. Refined Carbohydrates
The reason why refined carbohydrates can increase inflammation is that they have compounds that are triggers for the inflammation. Sugar is one of them, and it can be found in every product considered refined carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are mainly consumed so that you can convert to energy in order to do strenuous physical activities, the same reasons why athletes take huge sums of carbs. If you are not able to use and convert it into energy, the carbohydrates will stay in your body, leading to gaining weight and making your osteoarthritis become worse.
Food products considered as refined carbohydrates that you must avoid:
- White Bread
- White RIce
- White Pasta
- Crackers
- Other White Flour Products
6. Alcoholic Drinks
Almost everybody knows that drinking alcohol poses many health-related risks to a person, and the increase of osteoarthritis inflammation is no exception. So if you want to reduce your inflammations, you should also restrict yourself from drinking too much alcohol or even avoiding it permanently. It’s true that it’s pretty difficult for a person to cut down on alcohol consumption and most especially when deciding to stop drinking it completely, but this effort will be beneficial for you in the long term.
7. Omega-6 Fatty Acids
Although omega-6 fatty acids are known to be healthy in small portions, excess consumption of foods containing it can worsen your osteoarthritis. It has a number of pro-inflammatory chemicals that can trigger an increase in osteoarthritis inflammation. Certain vegetable oils are known to be common sources of omega-6. Health professionals advise patients with osteoarthritis to use olive oils as alternatives to vegetable and canola oils because it doesn’t necessarily contain polyunsaturated fatty acids of omega-6 and it mostly monounsaturated.
Other food sources that contain omega-6 fatty acids:
- Peanuts and Seeds
- Corns
- Soybeans or Soy Oils
- Sunflower
- Safflower
- Meat
Takeaway
Studies and evidence tells us that there are certain foods that you need to refrain from and avoid overconsumption for you to avoid osteoarthritis inflammation. Although we can say that a number of these foods and drinks that are off-limits are also those included in the ‘tasty’ section, putting effort into avoiding them is the only option in order for you to fight and avoid osteoarthritis inflammation.
You can always look for alternatives or better substitutes for these ‘off-limits’ foods. It can really make a huge difference in the improvement of your lifestyle and can even reduce other health-related risks and illnesses.
Partner it up with a simple diet and regular exercise, and you’re surely on the right path to avoiding the symptoms caused by osteoarthritis. Remember, your lifestyle has a vital role in your overall health and can be the deciding factor in maintaining a healthy well-being.