The Best Diet for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Many medical conditions can be either relieved or controlled through a sensible, measured, and balanced diet. Rheumatoid arthritis and similar conditions are no exception. So, if rheumatologists diagnose such a condition, you do not only have medication to fall back on, you can also consider making changes to your diet. That is, eating foods which should help, but avoiding foods that are known to be bad for rheumatoid arthritis. This article will explore such foods, so that sufferers may find some relief through their diet.

To Eat

Fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids will help to control the inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Fish in this category includes salmon, sardines, tuna, herring, and cold-water fish.

Bananas, being high in potassium and magnesium, increase bone density. Magnesium has also been known to alleviate the symptoms associated with arthritis. Another fruit that protects the body against inflammation is the blueberry. So, if you are sufferer, do not refuse that blueberry muffin next time you are offered it. Forget about the diet and think about rheumatoid arthritis instead. With foods, it can be a balance between eating foods because a certain element is good for you, but in moderation because another element is not. Such as the sugar content should not be eaten to excess, yet the presence of blueberry is seen as a good thing. Perhaps the happy medium, then, is to just eat blueberries on their own and not within a cake situation if you can possibly resist the temptation.

Citrus fruits, in the main, helps with rheumatoid arthritis because they are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. However, grapefruit juice will unfortunately interact with some of the medicines that doctors will use for the treatment of arthritis. So, for this reason, it is best avoided, and leads us on to our next section of foods to avoid.

Fruit should in general be eaten with caution. The nutritional value of fruit can be debatable because of its sugar content but a dietitian will be the person best placed to balance the pros and cons with your condition.

To avoid

Foods that make rheumatoid arthritis worse are ones that have potential to cause inflammation. These are those containing sugar, saturated or trans fats, refined carbohydrates, omega-6 fatty acids, gluten, and casein. Eggs can potentially result in increased swelling and joint pain. Its yolk contains arachidonic acid which is known to help trigger inflammation within the body. Eggs also contain saturated fat, which will bring on joint pain.

For those who like coffee, it can help fight the free radicals within our body that will cause cell damage, and research also suggests that it offers protection against gout, however, there is a debatable link between drinking coffee and there being an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. So, coffee should, perhaps, be drunk with some caution. Certainly not to excess, so not to try your luck too much.

Balanced Diet

It is sensible, anyway, to balance your diet, so that you are not eating any food to excess. This therefore reduces the chance of any food having too much of an adverse effect on conditions of rheumatoid arthritis. Also, this is useful where foods contain mixed ingredients where some are good for you and others bad.

So, some ways that you can at least relieve rheumatoid arthritis to a degree through your diet. It is about knowing what to eat, what to avoid, and balancing your diet accordingly. Food alone is not used to control rheumatoid arthritis, though, there are other things a rheumatologist will recommend, such as medication to control it, medication for pain relief, and hot and cold compresses as an added relief. There is no need to suffer in silence, though, because there is much that can be done to help with rheumatoid arthritis.