Arthritis Diet

Arthritis is a common debilitating disease that occurs in one out of every three people in the United States. It is characterized by symptoms such as pain in the affected joints as well as inflammation. Some forms of arthritis may also affect other organs besides the joints, while others are caused by a fault in the body’s autoimmune response, causing it to attack its own tissues. But no matter the many distinct characteristics of each type of arthritis, one thing is certain: the patient who suffers from any one of the arthritic and rheumatoid conditions is in constant chronic pain.

So how do you remedy this?

Unfortunately, as far as a definitive cure to arthritis is concerned, there is none yet. Some cases of arthritis are so advanced that there is complete loss of the connective tissue such as the cartilage. Since cartilage degeneration is irreversible, the patient who suffers this condition will have to live with the fact, but with the aim of reducing or managing the pain that is associated with arthritis.

For most patients, drug therapies are the answers. Many arthritis pain relievers are available over the counter without need of a doctor’s prescription. These include non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), analgesics, and narcotic pain killers like ibuprofen. These arthritis drugs are often fast acting, but the effects are also quick to wear off. The other drug option available are much slower acting but are disease modifying – that is, they may halt the disease progression by inhibiting the release of certain chemicals in the body that cause inflammation or pain.

But with reports of a few adverse side effects caused by arthritis medications, many people are turning to more natural methods of managing the disease. One of these so-called natural methods is to keep an arthritis diet.

Although there is no proven scientific claim that arthritis diet can treat the disease, observing proper diet can only have a positive effect on the body. For years, dieticians have been recommending a kind of arthritis diet that is suitable for patients suffering this disease. In addition, studies have shown that a diet high in cholesterol and fat may contribute to the problem. This therefore shows that an arthritis diet, one that is controlled and balanced, would aid in preventing the onset of the disease in the first place.

An arthritis diet is not a strict diet. Rather, think of an arthritis diet as a list of foods that you ought to avoid and foods that may be beneficial for alleviating the symptoms.

Below are the foods that you ought to avoid while on an arthritis diet:

* Fast food restaurant soda
* Starchy foods like potatoes
* Red meat (minimal intake only)
* Foods high in saturated fat
* Greasy foods
* Fried foods

And here are the foods that may help relieve the pain:

* Fruits high in vitamin C, including oranges, apples, and strawberries
* Oily fish
* Foods high in vitamin E
* Grains, such as wheat and brown rice