Health
What are the 5 worst foods to eat if you have arthritis?
There is no well-accepted list of “5 worst foods” for people with arthritis. There are more than 100 types of arthritis and for many (or most) of them there is no compelling evidence that individual foods play a significant role in disease development, symptoms or disease severity. That said, there are connections between diet and arthritis worth noting: Some people notice that certain foods seem to make joint pain or arthritis worse. In such cases, it’s reasonable to avoid those foods. However, a highly restrictive diet is not generally necessary for people with common types of arthritis. There is some evidence that an “anti-inflammatory” diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, may be helpful in reducing body-wide inflammation and joint pain in certain types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis. These diets favor fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans and olive oil while restricting highly processed foods, red meat and unhealthy sources of fat. Gouty arthritis can be affected by diet. Foods that tend to raise uric acid (the cause of gout) include red meat, seafood, alcohol and foods or beverages with high fructose corn syrup. Diet plays an important role in the development of obesity. Excess weight can increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis and loss of excess weight can improve osteoarthritis symptoms in weight-bearing joints. It is possible that particular foods have a more significant impact on various forms of arthritis than is currently appreciated. We’ll need additional research to confirm or refute this.
M.D. Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing · 30 years of experience