close up of sweets on table behind no symbolIf you were recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, you know there are certain RA triggers you should avoid to prevent flare-ups. These include exercising too intensely or not at all, smoking, and getting into high-stress situations.

In addition to avoiding these triggers, it’s also important to keep inflammatory foods out of your diet. After all, inflammation is the primary cause of rheumatoid arthritis. Here are the top 10 foods to reduce or avoid altogether.

Sweets

According to a review in the Journal of Endocrinology, eating too much sugar increases the number of cytokines in your bloodstream. These inflammation-promoting messengers can lead to RA flare-ups. Lower your sugar intake by avoiding candy, soda, dessert bread, and other sweets.

Vegetable Oil

When the dangers of trans fat became well known, food producers started using vegetable oil instead of partially hydrogenated oil. Unfortunately, canola, corn, sunflower, and safflower oils are high in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids and low in anti-inflammatory omega-3s. Keep your vegetable oil intake down by grilling with olive or coconut oil, and avoid mayonnaise, potato chips, and salad dressings that contain vegetable oil.

Fried Food

When food is cooked at a high temperature in vegetable oil, a high amount of inflammatory advanced glycation end products (AGEs) form. To keep the markers of inflammation down in your body, avoid eating French fries, fish sticks, fried chicken, and onion rings.

Refined Flour

The problem with white flour is that it’s stripped of fiber and other nutrients to make the end product light and fluffy. This allows your body to digest the food very quickly, which can cause your blood glucose level to spike. As a result, your insulin level rises to bring your blood sugar down, which can trigger a pro-inflammatory response. Instead of white bread, white rice, pretzels, flour tortillas, breakfast cereal, and bagels, reach for wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, and other whole grains.

Dairy

A moderate amount of yogurt can counter inflammation thanks to gut-healing probiotics, but many types of dairy are a source of saturated fat. Dairy is also a common allergen, with 25 percent of adults showing sensitivity to lactose or the casein proteins found in dairy. Regardless, any allergic reaction can trigger an inflammatory response. If you feel bloated after drinking a glass of milk, eating a few slices of cheese, or downing bread and butter, you should consider reducing or eliminating dairy from your diet.

Artificial Sweeteners

The products designed to be a “healthy” alternative to sugar have turned out to be not so healthy. First, a 2014 study published in Nature found that artificial sweeteners decrease the level of good bacteria in your intestines that help release anti-inflammatory compounds into the body.

In addition, researchers have found a connection between artificial sweeteners and glucose intolerance. When your body can’t digest glucose properly, it releases cytokines, the exact inflammation-promoting messengers you’re trying to steer clear of by avoiding sugar. In the end, it’s best to skip diet soda and other artificially sweetened products.

Artificial Additives

From synthetic colors to chemical flavoring, artificial additives are enemies of rheumatoid arthritis patients. If you have any allergic response to these ingredients, your body could activate an inflammatory cascade of events. Avoid processed food with fruit flavoring, bright hues, and colors listed on the ingredients label.

Saturated Fat

According to the journal Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy, saturated fat triggers inflammation of the tissue that stores energy rather than burns it. As your fat cells grow with a high intake of saturated fat, they release harmful inflammation-promoting agents. To prevent this, avoid eating burgers, pizza, chips, and other high-fat processed foods.

Processed Meat

Not only are processed meat products typically made from red meat high in saturated fat, but they also contain high levels of AGEs because they’re cooked at a high temperature. Then, many are injected with artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors that your immune system registers as foreign attackers. Do your body a favor and avoid bacon, bologna, hot dogs, sausage, and beef jerky.

Trans Fat

As previously mentioned, trans fat comes from partially hydrogenated oil, which doesn’t occur naturally. As a result, your body can’t process it properly, which can lead to an inflammatory immune response.

A few years ago, the FDA began requiring manufacturers to include trans fat on nutrition labels. However, guidelines allow products with 0.4 grams or less of trans fat to be listed as 0 grams. Therefore, be sure to read food labels carefully. You’re most likely to find partially hydrogenated oils in margarine, shortening, processed baked goods, frozen pizza, and frosting.

Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis at Spine Correction Center

Avoiding inflammatory foods and other RA triggers is a proven way to help reduce your rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. However, you may need more active treatments to keep your pain at bay.

Contact Spine Correction Center at (970) 658-5115 today to schedule a free rheumatoid arthritis consultation. After our first visit, you may determine that our natural, non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical treatments are right for you.