The Best Diet For an Arthritis Patient

Now more than ever, doctors are beginning to believe that some of the severity of arthritis can be reduced by eating the right foods and avoiding others. There needs to be a great deal more research done to investigate the right diet for every type of arthritis, but past successes have proven that there is a connection between what we eat and how bad our arthritis symptoms are. For instance, a gout patient who avoids alcohol and eats purine-rich foods can lower the uric acid level in the blood. Less uric acid drastically reduces the chances of having a gout attack.

Watch Your Weight to Lower Arthritis Risk

People who are as little overweight as 20% have shown a far greater risk of developing arthritis and of aggravating existing arthritis conditions. It is easy to understand that extra body weight will add to the stress placed on damaged joints. People who eat more also experience a greater likelihood of eating something that acts like an allergen in triggering flare-ups of arthritis and altering the immune system.

Any diet that is well-balanced and healthy will contribute to the well-being of an arthritis patient. In addition, it's always the smartest practice to avoid fad diets. You can never tell with a fad diet if you're getting the nutrients necessary for overall health and well-being.

Tests on the effects of high cholesterol and high fat foods on arthritis have proven that both contribute to the development of arthritis as well as to the increased pain levels of current patients. To start with, you want to eat a diet low in these items in order to avoid getting arthritis. If you already have arthritis, avoiding these foods will help relieve pain.

Among the foods that all people should avoid, and especially arthritis patients, are:

• Foods from fast food restaurants


• Soda


• Potatoes, pasta, and other starchy foods


• Red or other fatty meats


• Foods that are high in saturated fats

Some foods are beneficial to those suffering from arthritis because they seem to relieve pain. Fruits which contain high vitamin C content include oranges, strawberries, and apples. Oily fish are high in vitamin E, and whole grain wheat products and brown rice also contain beneficial properties.

In the western world, people eat diets that are far too heavy in cholesterol and fat. This diet is detrimental to the health of everyone, but arthritis sufferers may be making their symptoms worse by continuing to eat this way. Everyone should be eating a diet high in nutritious foods that don't contain fats and cholesterol. Not only will this type of diet contribute to overall well-being, but it will also help people maintain their ideal weight. Overweight arthritis patients need to be the first to take up the cry: Fight Fat, Eat Right!