Just like timely medication and exercise, a good diet is also important for arthritis patients. The market is awash with a variety of food supplements and diets that claim to help you recover from arthritis. Recent research suggests a connection between arthritis and good diet. However, it is better to get the required vitamins from food, rather than taking supplements.

The right kind of diet can help arthritis patients. Consider whether or not your regular diet is giving you all the important nutrients including calcium and iron. Eat a balanced and healthy diet that contains required vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help you control your weight. If you have inflammatory arthritis, oily fish is likely to be beneficial for your joints.

Diet and Weight Control

Your weight is directly linked to your recovery from arthritis. Extra weight puts extra burden on the affected joints, and even a small weight loss can make a big difference to your recovery process. The best way for permanent weight control is to change your diet. Your body requires nutritious food to supply energy. So, you should eat foods that are high in vitamins and minerals such as fruit and vegetables.

Include starchy foods in your diet such as bread, potatoes, and rice. Have wholemeals since these are better as they are rich in fibre, and are a good source of vitamins and minerals.

Reduce fat and Sugar

You should reduce fat intake in your arthritis diet. To eat less fat, follow these guidelines.

You should try not to add sugar to the food items, where possible.

Fruit and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables ensure that your body receives required vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which it needs to maintain good health. Antioxidants can help protect joints, and help reduce inflammation. If you have plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, particularly those containing vitamin C, the risk of developing inflammatory arthritis gets quite low.

Minerals

You are more likely to get osteoporosis (brittle bones) if you are not having enough calcium in your diet. The richest sources of calcium are milk, cheese and yogurt and, certain types of fish which are eaten with the bones. Vitamin D is needed for the body to absorb calcium and it is suggested that the severity of arthritis increases if you have low vitamin D. Sunlight provides you lot of vitamin D, and it is also available in oily fish.
Iron

Arthritis diet should contain sufficient amount of iron content. Many people with arthritis have iron deficiency. The best source of iron in food is red meat. However, iron from fish is easily absorbed and oily fish are a good source of iron. A meal that contains vitamin C helps iron to get absorbed in a better way. So, have a good amount of vegetables, salad or fresh fruit with your meal to give you required vitamin C.

Elimination diets

An elimination diet is that when you exclude a certain food from your arthritis diet. Leave out a particular food item from your routine diet for 3-4 weeks, and reintroduce the food. Note if it brings in some difference. Study how elimination of that particular diet affected your body. If you cannot have a particular food, avoid it from your diet for a month. Start eating it again to see if it makes a difference. Consult with your doctor the impacts of including and excluding this particular food item from your diet, and follow the instructions.

Foods or Food Supplements That Help Arthritis Cure

For inflammatory arthritis, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly those found in oily fish and the oil produced from them can be helpful. These are of two kinds – omega-3 and omega-6. Omega-3 is found in oily fish and nuts, whereas omega-6, is available in plant seed oils such as sunflower oil.

Sometimes, these fatty acids can generate harmful substances or toxins in your body. Antioxidants remove all kinds of excess toxins from your body. So, have lots of fresh fruits and vegetables that are rich source of vitamins. These vitamins contain antioxidants that remove the undesired toxins from your body.

Diet Tips

Though arthritis diet should be carefully planned with proper guidance and consultation with your physician, you can always take few generally recommended precautions. Eat less sugar and fat, especially saturated fat, and use olive oil in your diet. Have more fruits and vegetables as part of your routine diet and take required amount of calcium and iron rich foods.