Arthritis Food: Which Foods Cause Arthritis Pain?

Arthritis pain is caused mainly from inflammation around the joints as cartilage wears down. Foods that reduce inflammation can also help relieve the pain of arthritis.

Foods that are high in the types of fats that raise cholesterol, increase blood pressure and contribute to obesity and help cause arthritis pain. When joints have to carry excess weight, or work harder because they have more mass to move, it's only logical that they'll wear out sooner.

Unfortunately, a lot of the foods that reduce the arthritis pain don't find their way into our bodies often enough. That's because so many people live on a diet of saturated fat, trans fat and simple refined carbohydrates, which make inflammation (and pain) worse.

Here's a quick list of foods you should eat if you want to reduce arthritis pain and discomfort.  

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids decrease inflammation by suppressing production of substances and enzymes that erode cartilage.  These include .

• *anchovies
• *flaxseed (ground and oil)
• *herring
• *mackerel (but not king)
• *omega-3-fortified eggs
• *Pacific oysters
• *rainbow trout
• *salmon
• *sardines
• *walnuts

Fish oil supplements, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids, may also be helpful. Talk to your doctor.

Antioxidants

Vitamin C, selenium, carotenes, and bioflavonoids fight the free radicals produced by inflammation. Free radicals are cell-damaging molecules that form in response to toxins or natural body processes.  Recent research indicates that antioxidants may  slow down arthritis and relieve pain and discomfort. These foods contain a lot of vitamin C:

• *broccoli,
• *Brussels sprouts,
• *cantaloupe,
• *cauliflower,
• *grapefruit,
• *guava,
• *kale,
• *kidney beans,
• *kiwi,
• *kohlrabi,
• *lemons,
• *mangos,
• *mustard greens
• *oranges,
• *papayas,
• *pineapple,
• *red cabbage,
• *strawberries,
• *sweet peppers (yellow/red/green),
• *white potato (with skin)

Note, however, that researchers at Duke University recently found that long-term, high-dose vitamin C supplements may make osteoarthritis worse.

Extra-virgin olive oil contains antioxidants called polyphenols. Doctors recommend using olive oil when cooking instead of vegetable oil or butter.

Bioflavonoids called quercetin and anthocyanidins Examples include apples with skin (especially the Red Delicious variety), apricots, black currants, blueberries, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, cocoa powder, elderberries, kale, leeks, lingonberries, onions (red, yellow, white),

Carotenes have powerful antioxidant found in sweet potato, carrots, kale, butternut squash, turnip greens, pumpkin, mustard greens, cantaloupe, sweet red pepper, apricots and spinach. There's a related antioxidant group called beta-cryptoxanthin, which includes sweet potato, carrots, kale, butternut squash, turnip greens, pumpkin, mustard greens, cantaloupe, sweet red pepper, apricots and spinach.

Selenium A low level of selenium seems to be related to both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. A selenium-rich diet that will reduce arthritis discomfort includes Brazil nuts, tuna (canned light tuna with little mercury), crab, oysters, tilapia, pasta (whole-wheat), lean beef, cod, shrimp, whole grains, turkey and wheat germ.  

Anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins limit the production of certain inflammatory chemicals in the body. Examples include black currants, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cherries, eggplant, elderberries, plums, raspberries, red/black grapes, strawberries.

Spices Recent research on ginger and turmeric (also called curcumin) has produced promising findings. These spices work well when they're grated into stir fry recipes, or in the case of ginger, baked into low fat ginger muffins.           

Talk tou your doctor about ways to eat and healthy diet and keep your weight within the range the doctor recommends. By losing weight you’ll automatically reduce inflammation in your joints--and the pain caused by arthritis. 

Please read our related article on arthritis pain causes and the Mediterranean diet and tomatoes as a possible cause of artrhritis pain.