Arthritis. What are the foods to eat and not to eat?

Question

My mother has Arthritis and she wants to know what foods to eat and what foods not to eat.

I'm having a difficult time finding websites about it.

Answer 1

Beta Carotene (Vitamin A) found in carrots , papayas acts as an antioxidant and neutralizes the free radicals which damage the joints. Vitamins C, B6, E and zinc help in the repair of connective tissues. Vitamin E also prevents muscle wasting and prevents inflammation of the joint.You can find more information at http://aches.in/naturalcuresarthritis.html

Answer 2

Your mother should Look for foods with high nutrient density. This means eating whole, unprocessed foods. A healthy diet will consist of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables (lightly steamed is best), whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fish. Cut back on dairy, eggs, and red meat. She should Avoid foods made with hydrogenated oils. The best oils are cold-pressed. Avoid sugar and refined flour.


There is no one food or group of foods to give up that will help all or even most people with arthritis .By trial and error method your mother has to benefit by altering her food.She may feel better if she gives up animal protein. If this does not work , let her give up all foods in the nightshade family viz.,tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers (includes bell peppers, cayenne, chili, paprika, pimiento) and eggplant. (The nightshade family also includes tobacco and belladonna). (The nightshade family can be tricky. After eating a tomato, it can take as long as 48 hours before a reaction occurs. And it can actually take as long as six months for all reactions to stop. This means if you want to test for nightshades you may need to completely give up every member of this family for six months. You must carefully check all labels. Prepared foods often have potato starch or tomato paste. Relish may contain peppers or paprika. Anytime you see "spices" listed under ingredients, the food may contain paprika or pepper.)

Answer 3

Stay away from sugar and fats. That will help so much. Eat more vegetables than meat/protein. Whole grains and fruit.
My brother-in-law does this. He's had rheumatoid arthritis for over 20 years. He's in his 50s and you wouldn't believe it. He's in great shape. Of course he liked all those bad foods, but he learned soon enough that when he ate them, his joints swelled up and the pain was horrible. You won't do that too many times before you'll give it up and eat right.

Answer 4

I've heard that vinegar and anything "pickled" is good because the acid eats away at the calcium deposits that cause the arthritis. Plus citrus and tomatoes.

Answer 5

simple rule of thumb...think heat...heat will ease pain, cold causes it. husband has arthritis from a car accident, and he uses heating pads on his knees and hips when it gets bad. During the day when he's working, he uses the icy hot patches, soaks in a hot bath. He found if we turn the thermostat up at night, and kept our room warmer his arthritis didn't flare up as much and made sleeping easier...good luck.

Answer 6

Hi Giovanni. I would like to recommend an excellent book by Sherry Rogers, M.D. It is called: "Pain Free in 6 Weeks". The book is available at Amazon.com.

Best wishes and good luck.

Answer 7

Nothing has been shown to help one way or the other. The compound that makes peppers hot has a temporrary beneficial effect, topically and internally.

Answer 8

Perhaps high-calcium foods would help, as they're good for bones, so yoghurt and milk. Less sugars too.