Before laying out a rheumatoid arthritis diet plan that can help minimize the painful or negative effects of rheumatoid arthritis, it is essential that we have an understanding of what it is.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a condition that affects millions of people in the western world alone. In its most basic form it is a condition that causes pain and swelling in a person’s joints. The parts of the body that are most affected are the hands, feet, wrist, elbows and knees.

Having a basic understanding of rheumatoid arthritis allows us to understand better why certain foods are able to minimize the pain and even relieve it in some cases. Diets that have high doses of vitamins and minerals tend to be the most effective in reducing inflammation and pain and therefore (yes you guessed it) the recommended diet will contain a lot of fruit and vegetables.

The foods that avoided are just as important as those eaten and so a list of these foods will be listed as well.  Keep in mind however that a balanced diet is needed and so protein and carbohydrates and all other classes of foods will still be part of the diet.

A recommended rheumatoid arthritis diet includes;

Aiming to maintain a healthy weight is essential as this puts less weight on our joints. This is especially important when dealing with pain in the feet, hips and knees. So our first rule for our diet is to ensure that our food portions are moderate. What moderate is depends on your height, gender, body size and other factors. However, a good rule to follow is when you eat do not distract yourself with other activities (such as working, watching TV or using the computer). Distractions have been found to impact a person’s ability of telling when they are full.

Eat plenty of oily fish. If there is only one dietary advice someone struggling with rheumatoid arthritis should take this is it. Oily fish such as mackerel, sardines, herring, tuna, salmon, marlin and snapper have omega-3 polyunsaturated (the long names don’t really matter just know it is really good for you) Fish oils reduce inflammation, pain and is good for strengthening the heart. 2-3 potions of oily fish a week will do wonders when it comes to reducing the pain that rheumatoid arthritis can induce.

Eat more unsaturated fats and avoid saturated fats as much as possible. Saturated fats can be found in many full fat dairy products and many processed foods which are packaged as microwavable foods. Many saturated fats have been found to increase pain and inflammation in the body.

Also avoid oils and margarines that are made out of corn or sunflower. The reason for this being that they are rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated, which tend to increase inflammation. Olive oil, olive oil margarines are rich in monounsaturated fats which do not cause inflammation when taken. In short whenever possible use olive oil based margarines, oil and other products with fats.

A good rheumatoid arthritis diet should also include plenty of fruit and vegetable (delivered as promised). While this can seem as a bit of a cliché, it is a really important step in reducing pain and inflammation of the joints. Eating a wide range of vegetables and fruits that vary in colour ensures that a wide range of vitamins and minerals are consumed.

Vitamins C, D and E are vitamins especially important for joints, while calcium, zinc, copper and magnesium are minerals that strengthen both bones and joints. These vitamins can be found in foods such as yellow peppers, oranges, tomatoes, berries, brussel sprouts, spinach, eggs, beans and olive oil to mention a few. As mentioned earlier a range of fruits and vegetables with different colours is a good way of ensuring you get the vitamins and minerals needed.

Eating 3-4 portions of vegetables and 3-4 portions of fruit daily will maximise your chances of getting the nutrients that help reduce inflammation and pain in the joints. A portion can be defined as a handful.

It is worth noting that while supplements can be a great way of consuming the vitamins and minerals that help the body overcome rheumatoid arthritis it should never be used as a dietary replacement. Just as the name suggests it should supplement your rheumatoid arthritis diet.

Also worth noting is that supplements with high doses of vitamin C (1000 mg) can worsen inflammation and pain. Fish oil supplements seem to be the best kind of supplements for reducing inflammation – try and find a supplement that contains a total of 500-750mg of fish oils EPA and DHA.

While not directly part of the rheumatoid arthritis diet getting enough sunlight whenever possible has major benefits including absorption of vitamin D which has been known to lower pain levels in many people.

Drink plenty of water. Almost every health article seems to have this advice. There is a good reason for this. It works. Try and carry a bottle of water wherever you go. The body functions optimally when water is available to transfer nutrients and nourish the body. Drinking large amounts of water a couple of times a day is not as useful for the body as say drinking small amounts throughout the day. The body eliminates large amounts taken at one time as it can only use so much at any given time.

Keep in mind that there is no “perfect” rheumatoid arthritis diet. Some people find more benefits from certain types of foods than others which could have to do with blood type and other factors we cannot even begin to cover. Try following the steps laid out above and take note of which foods help reduce inflammation and pain for you as an individual.