7 Foods You Should Never Eat If You Have Joint Pain

Suffering from something like severe joint pain can be a painful and even debilitating problem. Millions of people around the world suffer from arthritis or other inflammatory problems that cause chronic and sometimes severe joint pain. The more we learn about inflammation-related disorders, the more we can do to mitigate the associated problems that people have with them. The obvious first step to obtaining relief is to go to the doctor and figure out what the cause of the joint pain is. Armed with this information, you can know move on to treatment options. Not all treatment options are medications or things that your doctor can do for you. Some of the best ways to reduce joint pain is to make a few lifestyle changes. One surprising area that people see a lot of benefit from is changing their diet. It might seem unrelated, but not upon closer inspection. If we eat foods that promote or are known to cause inflammation, then chances are we will experience a higher level of pain and discomfort after eating said foods. What follows are seven different types of food that are best avoided if you suffer from mild to severe joint pain. Eliminating these things from your diet is also likely to have a whole host of other benefits as well, from a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, increased energy levels, and also weight loss. 1. Fatty and Processed Foods Super fatty and highly processed foods can cause an increase in the body's inflammatory response to a whole host of reasons. First and foremost, processed foods tend to be incredibly high in sodium, which is also noted below as a “no-no” food. These are also high in fat and calories and often severely lacking in nutritional value. The consumption of these foods has been shown to reduce our immune function and other bodily response mechanisms and excessive consumption of these can make problems like joint pain much worse. 2. Sugars and Refined Anything We know that, in general, the eating of refined foods and foods that are high in simple sugars are associated with a host of nasty issues. It turns out that this is even more true for people who suffer from joint pain. The consumption of these products has been shown to increase the levels of AGE's in your blood (discussed below), which releases and inflammation-inducing chemical as a result. 3. Salty Foods Salt can not only cause high blood pressure and other negative effects, it has also been shown to worsen inflammation. We know that salt works to seep much-needed water from the body, which increases the inflammatory response of the body as a result. 4. Dairy Products Milk based products (whether cow-based milk or sheep milk) contain a type of protein that has been shown to contribute to the inflammatory response in the body. This is worse for some people than others. For those who suffer from joint pain, it is advised to limit your intake of dairy products so as to avoid the associated inflammatory side effects that might result. 5. AGE's Chances are, you are not all that familiar with AGE's or advanced glycation end products. Basically, what this refers to is chemicals that are released in foods that are cooked at high temperatures, such as frying or grilling. This is not to say that you should never enjoy grilled foods, but it is best to keep high heat foods to a minimum when possible. 6. Corn Oil Due to the cheapness of corn, we see corn and its derivatives in a whole host of products. We are seeing more and more corn oil used in industrially processed baked goods and other products. This type of oil contains what are called Omega-6 fatty acids, which have been shown to exacerbate inflammation. Switching from corn oil to something like olive oil, which is high in the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid is a great substitute. 7. Alcohol Though the exact causes are not well known, consumption of alcohol, especially in large amounts, is associated with the increased risk for gout. Gout is an inflammatory disease that is marked by joint pain. When it comes to dealing with common causes of joint pain like arthritis, many assume that their only options are topical joint pain relief such as over-the-counter or prescribed creams. However, this is not the case. There are actually a whole host of things you can do in your daily life that can help reduce the amount on joint pain you experience and even the severity of the pain. We all know that diet and exercise are part and parcel for a healthy weight and overall bodily functioning, but eating the wrong types of foods can actually be contributing to the severity of your joint pain. There are certain foods that have been dubbed “inflammatory foods” as their consumption is known to have an inflammatory effect on the body. For those who suffer from chronic joint pain, avoiding these foods will likely bring about a great deal of relief. Avoiding many of these things is also just good overall diet advice as these types of food are known culprits for things like obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, and more. References: https://www.glozine.com/lifestyle/health/natural-joint-pain-relief-supplements.html http://beforeitsnews.com/health/2016/02/is-there-any-link-between-coffee-and-joint-pain-2614446.html