5 Foods That Make Arthritis Worse (and age you faster)

Managing arthritis can be a full-time job.  There are certain activities and medication to be avoided to keep pain levels low, but there are also a number of foods that affect your joints and tissue. By avoiding the following FIVE foods, you can avoid unnecessary arthritic pain. We’ve also prepared a special cheat sheet of these 5 foods at the end.

1. ANYTHING with Gluten

Sorry, my carb-loving friends, but you may have to say goodbye to traditional pastas and breads.

Aside from the fact that these foods pack a ton of carbohydrates, gluten can cause an incredible amount of inflammation. Not everyone will have adverse reactions to gluten: current estimates[1] say that around 13% of the population has some form of non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and around 1% of the population has full-blown celiac disease.

Unfortunately, around 40% of the population is a carrier for the gene that causes celiac disease. Environmental factors that could trigger the gene to ‘turn on’ range from pregnancy, illness, menopause, antibiotic use, prolonged use of ibuprofen, gastrointestinal infections to a simple stomach flu.[2]  If you have arthritis, it’s really best (and healthier for your waistline) not to chance it.

 2. Nightshade Vegetables

If you’ve ever heard of New England Patriot’s quarterback Tom Brady[3], then you probably know about his super strict diet and how it’s kept him playing football for so long. One of the foods he avoids completely are nightshade vegetables, as they are known to cause inflammation. Examples include eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers (both hot and sweet). Nightshade vegetables contain alkaloids, which alter the way calcium is metabolized in the body. In higher concentrations, alkaloids cause calcium to deposit in the soft tissues of the body, causing joint pain and inflammation.

3. Processed Fast Foods

Yes, this includes French fries. Fast foods joints love to cook and fry their foods in oils full of trans-fat oils, which have an abundance of Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 in low moderation is good for you, but in the amounts you’d consume with just one serving of fast food Omega-6’s increase inflammation in the body by triggering fibrin[4] build-up in your joints over time. Normally, fibrin is a healing protein utilized by the body for a short amount of time to heal injuries – partially by causing inflammation to bring in white blood cell. When fibrin doesn’t know when to call it quits, or it builds up when it’s not needed (arthritis), pain is inevitable.

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