While you likely know your main RA triggers, you may be surprised by some of these other factors.
EVERYDAY HEALTH – We often discuss treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and keep an eye on what’s in the pipeline. We are focused on what can help manage RA symptoms and disease progression, as you would expect.
But it is equally important to be cognizant of what can make RA worse. You need to know what you shouldn’t be doing, just as much as what you should be doing.
Certain foods and additives are believed to increase inflammation in the body, such as sugar, saturated fats, trans fats, omega-6 fatty acids, refined carbohydrates, monosodium glutamate (MSG), gluten, aspartame, and alcohol.
A diet for RA should include anti-inflammatory foods, and pro-inflammatory foods should be reduced or avoided. SOURCE.
Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Diet
DRWEIL.COM – It is becoming increasingly clear that chronic inflammation is the root cause of many serious illnesses – including heart disease, many cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease.
We all know inflammation on the surface of the body as local redness, heat, swelling and pain. It is the cornerstone of the body’s healing response, bringing more nourishment and more immune activity to a site of injury or infection.
But when inflammation persists or serves no purpose, it damages the body and causes illness. Stress, lack of exercise, genetic predisposition, and exposure to toxins (like secondhand tobacco smoke) can all contribute to such chronic inflammation, but dietary choices play a big role as well.
Learning how specific foods influence the inflammatory process is the best strategy for containing it and reducing long-term disease risks. (Find more details on the mechanics of the inflammation process and the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid.)
The Anti-Inflammatory Diet is not a diet in the popular sense – it is not intended as a weight-loss program (although people can and do lose weight on it), nor is the Anti-Inflammatory Diet an eating plan to stay on for a limited period of time.
Rather, it is a way of selecting and preparing anti-inflammatory foods based on scientific knowledge of how they can help your body maintain optimum health.
Along with influencing inflammation, this natural anti-inflammatory diet will provide steady energy and ample vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids dietary fiber, and protective phytonutrients … READ MORE.
