Diet for rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that would cause the body’s own immune system to attack the thin membrane that lines the joints causing inflammation not only in the joints but all over the body as well.  Diet for rheumatoid arthritis consists mostly of healthy foods that are good for the body like green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits and healthy fats.

Diet for rheumatoid arthritis

Most vegetables would contain vitamins and minerals like the anti-oxidants to help the body eliminate the free radicals; it could also prevent tissue damage and has the ability to repair the damage tissues. Vegetables would also contain elements to help strengthen the immune system and to reduce the swelling that causes such pain and discomfort. A diet for rheumatoid arthritis, is designed to help the patient affected with rheumatoid arthritis manage the symptoms that comes with it.

Diet for rheumatoid arthritis would contain foods that are low in fat or have the good kind of fat like the olive oil which has high levels of omega 3 to lessen pain and reduce swelling.  Omega 3 can be gotten from fish like salmon, canola oil, eggs and flaxseeds.  Using olive oil and canola oil should be used in reasonable portions since both would also have high calorie levels. Calories intake in foods should be well monitored in the diet for rheumatoid arthritis because arthritic patients should have the right weight. Unwanted and excess fats in the body would cause inflammation of the joints more frequently because there would be additional burden for the joints to bear.  Proteins are also important for this diet. You can get the proteins from fish and chicken or even some lean portions of meat, as long as it is not coming from a red meat. 

Carbonated soft drinks, beers and other liquors should be totally eliminated from the patient’s diet. There would be additives, artificial colors and flavorings with too much sugar in carbonated drinks. Beer and the other liquors would contain the brewer’s yeast that would just aggravate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.  Fried foods should also be totally eliminated if possible or limit the portions that you eat from fried foods. Most trans fat is found in cookies and crackers that are sometimes so impossible to resist. Trans fat does not occur naturally in foods unlike the saturated fats. Trans fat is oil that is transformed into solids to improve the flavors in foods.  Both the saturated and the trans fat should not be included in the regulated diet for rheumatoid arthritis since both are very unhealthy for the body.

One would also have to remember that milk and other dairy products like butter and cream are food types that would normally trigger food allergies that would prove to be hazardous to autoimmune diseases. Not all vegetables are good for those with arthritis as well; some types of vegetables are to be avoided like the vegetables that are from the nightshade family like the potato, eggplant and even the tomato.