Inflammation of one or more joints in the body is arthritis, often referred to as joint inflammation. In fact the word "arthritis" itself is not a specific disorder, but refers to 100+ kinds of arthritis and associated conditions. Pressure, swelling, stiffness, and decreased range of motion are symptoms throughout the body, making it difficult to perform some activities, and these symptoms can worsen with age.
It's always best to consult with a healthcare professional to decide the best course of action for you if you think you are suffering from arthritis. Yet lifestyle changes may have a significant effect on how seriously you feel arthritis symptoms, in addition to drugs, physical therapy, and potentially joint surgery.
"We want to keep inflammation at bay with arthritis. The less the joints are inflamed, the less discomfort you are going to be in," says nutritionist Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN of Regular Harvest. So how can you minimize inflammation? As a first step, eliminate the foods in your diet ASAP that science connects to chronic inflammation. An excellent starting point: "[Limiting] fried foods and refined sugar can relieve some symptoms of arthritis, such as pain and swelling, while raising less-processed whole foods," notes Chelsey Amer, MS, RDN, owner of Chelsey Amer Nutrition, adding that doing so can also help you maintain a healthier weight.
Read on to learn what to miss with 20 of the worst foods that can make arthritis worse.
1 Frozen High-Sodium Meals
High-sodium foods are an especially nefarious choice for those with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder. "You may want to restrict the amount of sodium that you eat when you have rheumatoid arthritis. This is because corticosteroids that are frequently used to treat this form of arthritis may cause you to hang on to more salt," says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, owner of the New York City area of Amy Gorin Nutrition. "And taking in large quantities of sodium on a regular basis will increase inflammation in your body. You may want to consider restricting your daily sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams if you have rheumatoid arthritis."
2 Cooking Oils polyunsaturated
Do you cook with the oils of maize, soya, canola, safflower, and sunflower? "Commonly used in restaurants and at home, these oils are rich in omega-6 fatty acids but very low in omega-3s," says Shapiro. "This deficiency may contribute to inflammation, and since most people do not get enough omega-3s to balance these oils (from sources such as salmon, flax, walnuts, and chia), arthritic symptoms can worsen."
3 To Soda
A big, refreshing soda glass? You better not do that, folks. For instance, a 12-ounce can of Sunkist Orange soda packs in 44 grams of sugar (10 teaspoons worth) and far exceeds the maximum daily allocation of added sugar that should be earned daily by men (nine teaspoons) and women (six teaspoons), share Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT & Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT, The Nutrition Twins, writers of The Veggie Cure of The Nutrition Twins and creators of the 21-Day Body Cure "Although sugar can be harmful for many reasons, it induces inflammation in the body, and sugar-sweetened soda, in particular, has been shown to increase symptoms of arthritis in women." And A major study found that just one sugar soda a day increased the risk of rheumatoid arthritis by 63 percent. This was compared to people who never drank soda and those who had it less than once a month," says
4 White rice
"White rice is a processed carbohydrate that can induce a spike in our blood sugar and can increase our body's inflammation markers, worsening the arthritis side effects," says Keri Gans, MS, RDN. Load up on whole grains such as farro, kamut, spelt berries, and brown rice instead of this nutrient-lacking carb.
5 The Pretzels
Steer away from this exquisitely salty and addictive snack. "There are several studies that relate inflammatory arthritis to a sub-optimal microbiome. Refined grain foods such as pretzels are precisely what a balanced microbiome does not crave," Moon states. "It would make your microbiome much easier to eat off whole fiber-rich foods, such as chickpeas, pistachios, or quinoa."
6 Goods Baked
Amateurs of Cinnamon Roll, perk up your ears. "As an ingredient, look out for any packaged baked goods with partially hydrogenated oil. This ingredient contains trans fats that you really want to avoid," says Gorin. "Trans fats are correlated with body inflammation, and eating these fats on a regular basis raises your 'poor' LDL cholesterol, decreases your 'healthy' HDL cholesterol, and increases your risk of heart disease."
RELATED: The anti-inflammatory diet guide that cures the gut, slows down the symptoms of aging, and helps you lose weight.
7 Margarine Margarine
"If you didn't get the message that this once-omnipresent butter substitution is a no-go, remember this Many margarines are made from trans fats. Inflammation, heart disease and cancer have been associated with trans fats," says Meg Marie O'Rourke, RD-LDN. "A process called hydrogenation is placed into vegetable oils such as corn oil, shifting the chemical formation from a Cis to a Trans. Trans fats are present in many [sweets such as cakes, cookies, and pie crust] and improve inflammatory biomarkers."
8 Sausage
"Sausage is a processed meat, and all processed meats are high in AGEs (advanced end products of glycation) that cause body inflammation and exacerbate the symptoms of arthritis," The Diet Twins say. "While all meats contain Years, there are more in processed meats." If you have to indulge, consider our list of best weight loss hot dogs and sausages.
9 Ice Cream
We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but the match made in heaven is saturated fat + added sugars = inflammation. "Saturated fat is one of the most inflammation-inducing foods, according to the Dietary Inflammatory Index, and a study of more than 100 arthritis patients who removed milk reported self-perceived benefits," says Moon. Bear in mind that they also omitted a number of other foods and added dietary and probiotic supplements to their diet, so it is difficult to know how much milk elimination had an effect. In addition, a study conducted on rats indicates that casein, the key protein in dairy foods, can minimize swelling related to arthritis, likely by suppressing inflammation." Try removing milk from your own experiment."
10 High-Sugar Juices for Fruits
"Fruit juice that is high in sugar is one of the main causes of inflammation. This is particularly relevant with the current fibromyalgia and chronic pain epidemic, both of which are significantly exacerbated by a mechanism called microglial activation and central sensitization," explains Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of Pain Free 1-2-3. Teitelbaum continues, "Research shows that this is driven especially by sugar. Both of these greatly amplify pain in arthritis."
11 Cheese Full-Fat
Know this before you melt some on your mac or sizzle up your next grilled cheese: "Most cheeses contain a high amount of saturated fats, and it has been shown that saturated fats are an inflammatory cause not only for heart disease but also for arthritis," says Gans.
12 Sugar Refined
"Inflammation may also be caused by high levels of added sugar in your diet. In addition, if your diet is high in sugar, it may be lower in anti-inflammatory foods such as vegetables and fruit," Amer cautions. "By reading product labels, limit added sugar and watch out for sly sources of secret added sugar."
13 The Salt
From elevated blood pressure to thyroid dysfunction, excess sodium in your diet can wreak havoc on your body in several ways. "In arthritis, it may also play a role: "Salt can contribute to joint inflammation," says Lisa DeFazio, MS, RD. "Avoid preservatives and additives. Less salt can help control arthritis, so avoid cooked meals and restrict your daily intake of sodium to 2,300 milligrams," DeFazio suggests.
14 MILK
"Yeah, we suggest drinking it for kids and some people do well with it but overall, many people (about 60% of the population) have trouble digesting milk and the proteins contained in it which can cause inflammation in the body," Shapiro notes. "Not all dairy products cause inflammation, but try those with probiotics to combat inflammation if you want to enjoy it like kefir and Greek yogurts (unsweetened of course!)."
15 Fried Foods
"Fried foods, since they are made with oils rich in omega-6 fatty acids, including corn oil, can be inflammatory and potentially exacerbate arthritis," says Amer. "While this is OK in moderation, it can disturb the balance of your body's omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in abundance, which can improve inflammation and therefore make arthritis worse."
16 Fries in French
Yes, French fries, sorry ladies and gents, can also be avoided. Can't you suppress the craving? Try this best-ever oven-baked French fries recipe or suggest baking up to a great crisp of vegetables such as carrots or parsnips and enjoy them for dinner as a snack or as a side.
17 In Syrup, Canned Fruit
Note: The fruit packaged in thick syrup is what we are talking about. Dried and canned fruit is A-OK with no added sugar. "The added sugar in the syrup can cause the release of cytokines called proteins in the body. An increase in inflammation has been associated with these cytokines," says Gans.
18 Candy
As with high-sugar fruit drinks, soda, and baked goods, if you have arthritis, you can avoid sweets at all costs. Simple sugars can spike your blood sugar, like those found in sweets, leading to inflammation, which can exacerbate your symptoms of arthritis.
19 Flour White
"White flour drives inflammation dramatically," Teitelbaum offers. Plus, the same findings were found in a report in The Journal of Nutrition. "By suppressing prostaglandin E3, white flour also accentuates omega-3 deficiencies that have a direct effect on joint inflammation." Research has shown that omega-3s can prevent diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, helping to protect your brain in addition to combating inflammation.
20 Pizza Pizza
We also love a slice (or three) of 'Za, but it's not good for your body, particularly if you're suffering from arthritis. "Thanks to cheese, pizza is one of the main sources of saturated fat in the American diet," The Nutrition Twins commented. "Studies show that saturated fats cause inflammation of the fat tissues of the body, which not only makes arthritis symptoms worse, but also leads to heart disease."