Dr Hilary discusses arthritis drugs tocilizumab and sarilumab
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Versus Arthritis – a leading charity – stated that a healthy diet can have twofold benefits. For instance, it can help prevent you from being overweight, thereby reducing the strain on your joints. Furthermore, the vitamins and minerals gained from a healthy diet could help reduce the side effects of some arthritis drugs. It could also “protect you from conditions affecting the heart and blood, which can be a complication of some forms of arthritis”.
What’s included in a healthy diet?
The NHS made clear that a healthy diet includes:
- Plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Beans and pulses
- Unsaturated oils and spreads
- Plenty of fluids.
However, according to Dignity Health, some vegetables could be contributing to painful joint symptoms.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that “nightshade vegetables” could cause arthritis flare-ups.
Examples of nightshade vegetables include: tomatoes, potatoes, aubergine, and peppers.
Tomatoes are said to raise the levels of uric acid in the body, which can be particularly problematic for gout – a form of arthritis.
Arthritis Foundation stated that nightshade vegetables “contain the chemical solanine”.
In regards to inflammatory pain, while anecdotal evidence suggests it could worsen symptoms, scientific evidence is yet to support this notion.
To see if you’re one of those people affected by nightshade vegetables, the charity recommend to test it out.
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“Eliminate nightshades from your diet for a couple weeks and slowly reintroduce them back into your diet,” instructed the charity.
“If you find that adding nightshades trigger arthritis pain, don’t eat them.”
The Cleveland Clinic added that spices sourced from peppers, such as cayenne and paprika, are also considered part of the nightshade family.
An intolerance to the nightshade family is also possible, so do pay attention if your body has an adverse reaction to them.
Registered dietitian Ryanne Lachman said: “If nightshades are a trigger for inflammation, it’s typically a message that there is an underlying imbalance perpetuating chronic, low levels of inflammation, and nightshades are just fuel for the fire.”
Lachman explained that it’s for this reason it’s possible for people with arthritis – and other inflammatory conditions – to benefit from removing nightshades from their diet.
However, if you find that nightshade vegetables do not worsen your symptoms of arthritis, then there’s no need to abstain from the food group.
“These foods are incredibly healthy and offer more health benefits than costs,” Lachman explained.
How to reduce painful arthritis symptoms
The NHS recommends anybody with any type of arthritis to do “regular exercise”.
This is to help keep the joints supple, preventing them from stiffening even further.
In addition, it’ll be helpful to “lose weight if you’re overweight”, and to wear suitable footwear.
“If your symptoms are more severe, you may need additional treatments such as painkillers and a structured exercise plan with a physiotherapist,” added the NHS.
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