Arthritis is a body condition marked by inflammation of one or more joints. The patient may or may not experience pain. The condition can develop suddenly or gradually. There are different kinds of arthritis including the obvious ones like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis but medics club almost 200 different conditions under this grouping. General medical opinion is that a healthy lifestyle is the best way to keep their symptoms under check. Whatever the condition, patients and people with a family history of arthritis or related conditions must avoid orrestrict the following things:
1. Caffeine
You like a morning cuppa that jumpstarts your day. And an evening fix that perks up your mental alertness? You need to be careful of excessive caffeine in the body. This dominant ingredient of coffee and many health and energy drinks can aggravate the symptoms.
2. Nightshade Plants
Vegetables belonging to the category of nightshade plants or solanaceae family produce solanine, which some research suggests can aggravate some arthritic symptoms. The vegetables include tomatoes, tomatillos, bell peppers, chilli peppers, and eggplants.
3. Vegetable Types like Cabbage and Cauliflower
Cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli consumed in excess quantities are known to aggravate gout, which is a cause for arthritis.
4. Red Meat
Doctors suggest avoiding red meat because of its correlation with cholesterol. They are also known to aggravate gout that is one of the reasons for arthritis.
5. Shell Fish
We do get a craving for seafood delicacies such as crab, prawn, shrimp, and oyster. But they have a negative impact on conditions that aggravate arthritis. So they are best avoided.
6. Alcohol
An excessive use of some alcoholic beverages can accelerate mineral deposits in joints causing gout-like conditions, which in turn aggravate arthritis.
7. Tobacco
Tobacco in any form is a big NO for people with arthritis. Tobacco products, even in moderate doses, aggravate joint inflammation, stiffness, and pain.
8. Excessive Salt
We can’t imagine tasting anything without salt; it seems like an absolute necessity. It also has vital physiological functions in the body and a drop in sodium can cause major health issues. However, an excess of salt over a long period will imperil your health. In fact, an average human consumes much more salt than necessary. We add salt to everything we eat and this adds up over a long time. The more processed food we eat, the more salt we consume. Excessive salt can increase the incidence of gout that can turn to arthritis in long run.
9. White Sugar
It is sweet but can kill all the same. The benefits of limiting the consumption of white sugar far outweigh the damage its excess intake can cause. It affects the body’s immunity in general and reduces bone density. It can also worsen the symptoms of arthritis.
10. Excessive Physical Exertion
While mild exercise is always good in toning up the body systems, arthritic persons should desist from excessive workouts. It will strain the joints and worsen the symptoms.
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