What to eat with rheumatoid arthritis?

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1. What is rheumatoid arthritis?

Before learning what rheumatoid arthritis should and should not eat, we need to have a preliminary understanding of this pathology. Rheumatoid arthritis is a relatively common chronic musculoskeletal disease, often seen in middle age. The main mechanism leading to rheumatoid arthritis is autoimmune when the immune system attacks the body's own normal tissues, thereby leading to swelling, redness, pain and stiffness of the joints in the hands and feet. , knee...
Without timely treatment measures, the level of rheumatoid arthritis will become more and more serious and cause complications such as limited mobility and even joint deformity.

2. What to eat with rheumatoid arthritis?

To limit the risk of the disease becoming more serious, rheumatoid arthritis patients need to avoid some of the following foods.
2.1. Protein-rich foods The list of answers to the question of what to eat for rheumatoid arthritis cannot be complete without protein-rich foods. Foods such as red meat, eggs, milk, seafood... can stimulate the inflammatory process in the joints, thereby making joints easy to swell and increase pain. The cause comes from the fact that the ingredient is too rich in protein, which promotes the release of Prostaglandin or Cytokines, thereby causing an inflammatory response in the joints.
2.2. Starchy foods or high gluten content Some starchy or gluten-rich foods like barley, wheat, tapioca, bread... can make inflammation worse. Therefore, rheumatoid arthritis patients should not eat anything, one of which must include dishes made from the starchy foods mentioned above.
2.3. Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates Reliable studies have shown that refined carbohydrates are not good for health, besides they are a contributing factor to weakening the immune system, and also stimulate the production of pro-inflammatory substances ( also known as cytokines). The above factors will stimulate the joint pain in rheumatoid arthritis to become worse.
In addition, sugar can cause the patient to gain weight, thereby increasing the body's pressure on the musculoskeletal system. Long-term excess weight can cause pain and deformity of joint cartilage.
2.4. Foods high in fat or processed Fast foods, processed foods or foods high in fat are also answers to the question of what people with rheumatoid arthritis should avoid.
The foods mentioned above are high in fat, especially saturated fat, which increases cholesterol in the blood. The end result is more severe rheumatoid arthritis, prolonged pain in the joints, even increased risk of many dangerous complications.
2.5. Salty foods Salt can cause water retention in the body, which in turn causes swelling and increases pressure on the joints. Eating foods high in salt every day both increases the risk of high blood pressure and creates a favorable environment for more serious inflammatory diseases. Therefore, rheumatoid arthritis patients should limit their salt intake, it is best to maintain a diet of no more than 10g of salt per day.
2.6. Soft drinks, alcohol, stimulants Another answer to the question rheumatoid arthritis should not eat that patients need to especially remember are carbonated soft drinks, foods containing (such as alcohol, beer) and Arouse tight.
Carbonated soft drinks contain high levels of aspartame. This is a substance that can stimulate an inflammatory response, especially in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Alcohol and stimulants such as tobacco... contain a lot of harmful factors to health, increase blood cholesterol, increase the risk of body weakness and increase the likelihood of recurrence and severity of attacks. joint pain. Therefore, the answer list for rheumatoid arthritis what to eat will not be complete without soft drinks, alcohol, cigarettes and or other stimulants.
2.7. Foods that can cause inflammation Besides increasing the use of anti-inflammatory foods, people with rheumatoid arthritis should try to limit foods that can cause inflammation. Some foods that have this effect include white flour, white sugar, fried foods, red and processed meat, dairy products, eggs...
Cases that can't be eliminated By eliminating them completely, the person can try eating them in smaller amounts. This small change can also effectively improve pain and discomfort in rheumatoid arthritis.

3. What should people with rheumatoid arthritis eat?

With the question of rheumatoid arthritis patients should eat? The answer will be found in the following content:
Rheumatoid arthritis patients should increase the use of processed foods by boiling or steaming. At the same time should limit food processing by baking, oven or roasting; Do not overcook pork or poultry. However, this does not mean that people with rheumatoid arthritis must eat undercooked or undercooked meat. It's important to note here that cooking meat to a temperature just enough to kill foodborne illness bacteria such as E.coli and Salmonella; Rheumatoid arthritis patients can try seasoning dishes with herbs and spices that have antioxidant or anti-inflammatory properties; When you want to eat baked or baked foods, patients should marinate foods first with acidic substances such as lemon juice, red wine or vinegar to prevent the formation of AGEs (or Advanced Glycation end Products - also known as products). sustained glycation); Rheumatoid arthritis patients can add tomatoes, red wine and other acidic ingredients to soups and stews to limit the formation of AGEs.

4. Some other notes for people with rheumatoid arthritis

In addition to finding answers to the question of what to eat and what to avoid with rheumatoid arthritis, patients can help increase the effectiveness of treatment and prevent rheumatoid arthritis by adjusting living habits, strengthening Scientific mode of exercise, including:
Arrange reasonable working and resting time:
People who do sedentary work, often have to sit for a long time in front of the computer, should take a break between hours. to stand up for light exercise. This habit helps to relax muscles and joints, limit muscle spasms and at the same time reduce the risk of arthritis; People who often have to do heavy work or do manual labor should balance their work according to their health status, limit carrying heavy loads or doing wrong postures. The most important note is not to overwork; Do gentle exercises on a regular basis, while massaging and stretching the hands, fingers, and joints. When resting, you should lie on a flat bed, do not put pillows too high, sleep at the right time and get enough sleep to prevent rheumatoid arthritis; Limit stress, stress: Positive emotions will contribute to the treatment of many different diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, we should always keep our emotions happy, psychologically stable, and avoid negative thoughts or stress;
Periodic health check: People at high risk of rheumatoid arthritis such as middle-aged people, history of bone and joint diseases, overweight and obesity, smoking habits, women over 30 years old ... should have periodic health checks at hospitals to proactively detect and effectively treat rheumatoid arthritis from the very beginning.
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