Has anyone tried to give up foods that increase the severity of arthritis and if so did it work and what were the foods?
I don’t have diagnosed osteoarthritis as such but I have had some symptoms in the past and also this year. Included in these symptoms was pain and swelling in my finger joints of my right hand and some in my left. So I was more than a bit alarmed! I’ve also had hip pain and back pain.
I was tested for RA when I was in my early 30s after some knee joint pain but was negative then. I’ve been reading up on this and apparently you can still have RA later even if you test negative once. I’m not sure whether that is true and haven’t spoken to the GP yet.
I realised that some of my symptoms were due to eating tomatoes. I looked up tomatoes and there is inconclusive research ref their link to arthritis but some sources advise avoiding them.
I did a bit of an elimination diet including stopping tomatoes. I have introduced back most things except tomatoes and my symptoms are gone.
I had read in the past that “white foods” are bad - white flour, sugar, pasta etc. I don’t eat much of these types of foods and gluten is not in my diet.
I was also taking vitabiotics joint ace supplements which were helping a great deal for a long time, but I stopped those when I was in pain. Now I’m nervous about starting again. I am taking cod liver oil which has always helped me and which I stopped.
I was curious about your arthritis storie and whether anything natural (food/supplement) significantly helped reduce your symptoms. We have arthritis in the family so I want to do whatever it takes to reduce any further damage as I know how much it can affect you in later life.
If I had arthritis I would eliminate foods which are known to cause gut permeability (leaky gut). So a species appropriate diet (no grains/pulses/legumes, artificial flavour enhancers/chemical additives etc, or other foods which are difficult to digest such as tomatoes).
An easy placed to start is the Paleo diet because there are so many recipes online and it cuts out a large proportion of problematic foods
Azz I do eat quite a bit paleo already. I cut out tomatoes because I thought the nightshade family may be the issue. So that includes potatoes & aubergines too. I love aubergines but rarely cook them because they are so needy to prepare. But giving up nightshade completely does take all the fun out of life!
I haven’t given anything up but I do take a Fish Oil tablet each day but whether that makes the slightest difference I don’t know. (I also take a multi-vitamin but have been doing that for decades long before I had arthritis)
My arthritis is at the stage where it moves around, one day I will nearly drop a cup because of the sudden sharp pain in my wrist when I pick it up, a few days later it is my first and second fingers on my right hand giving me trouble, other days it is no problem at all.
I take the Fish Oil tablet because my doctor once said that there is some evidence that it does help with arthritis. It doesn’t seem to do me any harm so I keep taking it.
Try roasting it: slice some marrow, courgettes, butternut squash and shallots, along with a piece of duck, all sprinkled with salt n pepper and mixed herbs (along with a bit of duck fat to cover both sides of veg). You could steam some broccoli as well and serve with a little Kimchi
Although I do eat duck occasionally, I do so with a deep sense of guilt. It is delicious, but…
I might try roasting just the veggies as you suggest in the air fryer. I hadn’t thought of air roasting butternut squash - now that’s another item I struggle to cook. Does it taste nice roasted? I once made a roasted butternut squash soup but hadn’t thought of eating it as is, not in a stew.
I avoid kimchi and fermented food, it doesn’t agree with me. Although I have a weakness for olives but not sure whether they have caused a reaction in the past, I really love marinated garlic too, artichoke hearts that sort of thing, but struggle with the marinades.
I noticed a slight reaction to crispy seaweed thins today. Trying to figure out what they have that could cause inflammation.
Mine is a bit like that Bruce. It’s rare for me to nearly drop something but recently it did feel it was going that way. You’re lucky because you live in an arid climate. The damp UK can make your bones feel creaky. I wonder if the air pressure affects them too.
When I had transient arthritis in my 30s I pretty much swore that fish oil healed me. I was taking it for years after that.
I’m trying to figure out whether it’s simply a toxin in some processed food that triggers inflammation or even in meat or veg. Over here they are infusing fruits and veg in some supermarkets with that appeel stuff to stop it going off so quickly. You think you are being healthy but you don’t really know what you are eating these day.
About 20 years ago there were studies that confirmed cod liver oil increased the ratio of good to bad in the synovial fluid lubricating joints. So the free radicals attack but something in Cod liver oil forms a gooey defence. There are plenty of scientific studies confirming this. But I am wondering whether Covid can cause long term damage. I am seeing friends who had covid die recently. Now someone will chip in about the vaccine but two people have died and were unvaccinated (but both had covid).
I had long covid and this was before being vaccinated. My achilles tendon went during that time and I also had terrible problems with muscles. So I do wonder what damage that nasty disease may have done to my joints and tendons long term as well as organs etc. But however can you fix it? It’s so frustrating not being able to eat everything when so many foods trigger an adverse reaction. It’s almost as if I’ve been poisoned in 2020.
If you don’t want to use duck you can use Chicken (in which case, add a little bit of chopped ginger too). Or, as you said, roast just the veg but have it with some steak.
Assuming it is not pasteurised and a proper fermented food, you could be experiencing the herxheimer effect, aka, die-off.
Occasionally when undergoing a detoxification process, an individual may experience what is known as the “Herxheimer Reaction” This reaction occurs when the body detoxifies too rapidly, especially in cases where the system is particularly toxic.
It’s temporary, and is basically the effect of killing off all the bad microbes and the toxins they produce.
Are they store bought? In which case there are probably additives or they are cooked in seed or vegetable oils …which I’d avoid.
I’d fully go species appropriate foods. I make everything from scratch Annie, it’s the only way you can be sure (or sure enough) of what you’re eating.
My exceptions are:
Olives (bought in jars)
Cocoa powder (though organic and a trusted brand)
@AnnieS Some years ago, I did try leaving out some foods to absolutely no relief felt whatsoever. I’m now back to eating what I like and when I like just as my consultant suggested.
Hello, I was glad to see your post as have been trying to figure out the same thing myself. I have bad osteo in both hands, can’t straighten them anymore, have in spine, knees too. My family have it too. Have tried everything to get swelling down, pain, but nothing has worked. Went on vegan diet, but nothing changed, cut down sugar a lot, white flour, but still no change. Tried putting voltarol on, but doesn’t take it down much. I hope you do manage to find something that works.
Hi Scoobs, I’m sorry you have struggled with this too. I was very upset about my hands, but they have recovered pretty much since I originally posted.
I am convinced there is a connection with diet in my case because it has improved. Today I made a delicious tagine recipe for a birthday celebration meal which included tomatoes and can feel a little stiffness in my fingers at waking. I am stable if I stick to a “safe” list of quite restricted foods. Not a special diet prescribed but just something that works for me. I don’t eat gluten, rarely eat nuts, avoid much in the way of nightshades. I’m taking cod liver oil again daily, I don’t eat much of processed foods at all and I think that is the biggest change I’ve made recently. I can manage hummus or guacamole but no longer sure about marinated olives (which I love adding to salads). I’ve cut them out now and I’ve cut out tomatoes. Certain plant foods trigger it for me. Some say soy is good but I’ve completely cut that out. Maybe too much salt is bad? It could be something simple like that. There seem to have been studies which confirm sodium increases inflammation. Salt is everywhere it seems.
Dietary changes are frustrating because they take time to show any results and perhaps the reason studies and results are inconclusive is because, like my food allergies it’s not one single food group but a combination of food and something else that creates progression. For example we know damp cold weather makes things worse. Stress + a food trigger + environmental issues perhaps?
I remember reading a study about how eating a high fat food such as a doughnut when stressed led to more likelihood of coronary heart disease type plagues attaching to arteries than eating the same food when relaxed. Perhaps the same is true for arthritis. Of course it’s not so easy to be relaxed when your joints are so painful and stiff.
Hi Annie, thank you for your reply, am so glad your hands are bit better, is so hard to know what to eat. My mum, brother, and myself got arthritis in our 30’s. Thank you so much for your suggestions, will give them a try, even if can get them down a bit will help. Yes with this cold weather not helping. I hope your progress will continue. Have seen some people on utube that have managed to get their hands back to normal, but that was eating plant based, no sugar, dairy. Having type 1 diabetes I have to eat sugar sometimes, think some of it is due to that, thank you so much. Sarah
The other factor is dehydration. There are a number of studies that support the link.
There is an interesting Chinese study which links the type of water with decreased or increased risk. Even fluoridated water is linked to higher arthritis risk, but clean water is good at prevention of inflammation and deterioration.
Apparently in terms of temperature changes cold weather can thicken the synovial fluid - the importance of wearing gloves. I’ve heard or been advised on this but didn’t know why until now.
