Foods to Avoid If You Have Arthritis

9. Pizza

Researchers have found saturated fats can increase the overall levels of inflammation in the body, which can lead to arthritis flareups or make existing flareups worse. Most types of pizza are a high source of saturated fat, and 4.5 grams of every one hundred grams of pizza can be made up of saturated fats. For comparison, regular cheese has about 0.2 grams of saturated fats for every twenty-one grams. This means there is only about one gram of saturated fat in every one hundred grams of regular cheese. Nutritionists and dietitians have recommended that individuals with arthritis not get over ten percent of their daily calories from saturated fats. Cutting pizza out can be very helpful in achieving this.

10. Food With MSG

The research regarding monosodium glutamate (MSG) is hotly debated. Some studies have shown that MSG has no adverse health effects. In contrast, others indicate the substance can cause inflammation flareups and overall pain, which can worsen arthritis. MSG is found naturally in foods like tomatoes and mushrooms, and natural sources (in moderation) are typically fine. However, when it is added artificially to foods, MSG tends to be highly processed. Many frozen dinners and canned foods have high levels of artificial monosodium glutamate. If individuals are trying to cut MSG out of their diet, they should look for foods made with organic ingredients. Checking ingredients lists for monosodium glutamate is also a smart idea. Patients can experiment by monitoring how they feel with MSG-containing foods versus without them to see if cutting it out is helpful.