Arthritis is a broad term for more than 100 different conditions that cause pain, stiffness, and (often) inflammation in one or more joints. A healthy, well-balanced diet is good for everyone with arthritis.
There is no special diet or "miracle food" that will cure arthritis, but avoiding or eating certain foods may help some conditions. For example, people with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis seem to feel better when they eat more fish oils, while people with gout feel better when they avoid alcohol and organ meats.
Before making changes to your diet to treat arthritis, you should always talk to your doctor or a dietitian first. You might not need to limit what you eat or take too much of things (like mineral supplements) that might not help your condition at all.
People with arthritis should eat a well-balanced diet and avoid crash dieting or fasting. They should also eat more calcium to lower their risk of osteoporosis later in life, drink lots of non-alcoholic fluids, and keep their weight in the normal range by limiting the amount of fat they eat.
Uric acid is a waste product that the body usually gets rid of through urine. Gout is a type of arthritis that happens when uric acid builds up in the joints, like the big toe. This causes pain and swelling.
Some dietary tips that may help ease gout symptoms are to limit or avoid alcohol, to limit or avoid organ meats like liver, kidneys, and brains, to limit or avoid shellfish and anchovies, to drink lots of non-alcoholic fluids, to make sure you don't overeat often, and to eat slowly.
Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils can help reduce the inflammation that comes with some types of arthritis. Inflammation is what makes these kinds of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, what they are.
The fish oil seems to work by stopping the immune system from making as many molecules that cause inflammation. Researchers from all over the world have found that eating fish once or twice a week can lower the risk of diseases like asthma in children and prostate cancer.
People with arthritis can be hurt by being overweight. Arthritis already puts a lot of stress on joints. If you are overweight or obese, the extra weight on your joints may be making your symptoms worse. This is especially true if your hip, knee, or spine joints are affected. There is also strong evidence that being overweight makes you more likely to get osteoarthritis.
You have to be active to lose extra weight, which can be hard for people with arthritis who hurt or feel stiff. You can get information and advice from your doctor, dietitian, or other health professional. Some ways to lose weight are to switch to a diet that is high in nutrients but low in kilojoules, try out different kinds of activities like swimming or low-impact exercises, and limit your exercise to joints that are not affected. For example, if your hands are affected, you may be able to ride a stationary bike without pain.
There isn't strong scientific evidence that a person with arthritis should stay away from certain foods, unless that person has shown intolerance to those foods (the exception is gout). But as scientists learn more about the links between diet and health, stronger links between certain foods and arthritis may become clear.
With some foods, like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence (stories about individuals), but no strong scientific evidence.
A food diary can be helpful if you think a certain food might make your arthritis worse.
After a month, you might have a better idea of what food might be making your symptoms worse. Then, you could try going without that food for two weeks to see what happens. Don't give up an entire group of foods, and make sure you get the vitamins and minerals this food gives you from other places. You should tell your doctor that you are doing this.
Find out about treatment options, read more about arthroscopy, severe knee arthritis, allergies to painkillers, artificial knees, and look at pictures of arthroscopy knee surgery.
