With arthritis, joints and tendons become swollen, red, achy, and mobility becomes restricted. Some nutritionists believe that consuming grapefruits can worsen symptoms related to arthritis by triggering further inflammation.
Dr. Sarah Brewer explained, “A number of foods have the potential to trigger pain in some people with arthritis. Some reactions are due to an idiosyncratic food intolerance, while others upset a significant number of people. If you can identify and eliminate the particular foods that bring on your symptoms, your arthritis may improve. The foods most commonly found to worsen arthritis symptoms are: wheat, corn, rye, sugar, caffeine, yeast, malt, dairy products, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and tomatoes.”
So how can you know what trigger foods you have that can worsen your joint health? Brewer recommends keeping a food and symptoms diary where you jot down what you eat along with how you feel post-meal.
This method can help identify any possible food triggers for your joint pain. Furthermore, you can even undergo an allergy test. On the other hand, you can try the elimination diet where you remove common trigger foods from your diet and then slowly add them back in one by one and see how you feel once you eat them.
Diet can play an important role in your arthritis treatment plan as some foods can trigger inflammation where others can reduce it. Therefore, knowing what to eat and what to avoid can go a long way in properly managing your joint pain.
Speak to your doctor about your diet options along with working with a nutritionist to create the right diet to help you manage your arthritis pain.
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