Patients with psoriatic arthritis have a reason to choose what to eat and avoid. According to studies, 30% of psoriasis patients are affected by this disease that causes swelling, stiffness, and constant joint pain. Too much pressure on your joints worsens the psoriatic arthritis symptoms. This resulting in joints deterioration in the long run. It’s, therefore, important to maintain a healthy body weight to ease the symptoms of this condition.
Failure of psoriatic arthritis patients to properly maintain a healthy diet further leads to other health problems which include diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels. Patients should avoid consuming foods with high levels of cholesterol, those that cause inflammation, and those with too many calories. Below are foods you shouldn’t eat if you have psoriatic arthritis:
Sugary foods
Consumption of sugary foods such as soda is very dangerous for psoriatic arthritis patients. These foods have high sugar levels that fuel inflammation and increase insulin levels. Too much intake of sugary foods will increase inflammation in the body and vice versa. Additionally, these sugary foods also result in weight gain and thus putting a lot of pressure on the joints and increasing the risk of developing stroke and heart disease.
Processed meat
If you’re a patient of psoriatic arthritis, you should avoid eating both fatty and processed types of meat. These types of meat include bacon, prime bacon, hot dogs, and sausages. All these foods lead to inflammation and weight gain. This further results in the ineffectiveness of some medications for the condition. Again, if you consume too much fatty and processed meats, you’ll become overweight and thus limiting your ability to exercise due to inflammation and pain.
Nightshade vegetables
Research has proven that some vegetables belonging to the nightshade family worsen symptoms for psoriatic arthritis patients. These vegetables include tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. These nightshade vegetables have an active chemical component known as solanine. If you don’t feel comfortable after eating these vegetables, you should avoid them and shift to inflammation-fighting vegetables such as kales.
Diary products
Psoriatic arthritis patients show the worst symptoms immediately after eating different dairy products. Studies show that although milk is a good source of protein and other nutrients to the body, it’s also a common inflammation source. Therefore, medical practitioners recommend patients with psoriatic arthritis to limit the intake of daily products.
Salt
Although salt is an essential component in your diet, too much consumption can have some adverse effects on your body especially if you’re a psoriatic arthritis patient. Numerous studies show that high consumption of salt increases the risk of inflammations. It’s, therefore, essential to avoid too much salt consumption. Increase the intake of low sodium foods. Additionally, you can add food flavor with spices and herbs which include onion powder, cumin, pepper, and oregano.
Canned foods
Psoriatic arthritis patients should avoid canned foods at all costs. Especially those that contain a lot of sugar and salt. Whether they’re fruits, meat or vegetable, avoid them. For instance, most canned fruits have high levels of added sugar which raises inflammation. These canned foods also have salt that acts as a preservative.
Alcohol
High consumption of alcohol places a huge burden on the liver. This disrupts its proper function as well as other body organs. Alcohol has some inflammatory properties that worsen the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis patients. Patients who consume alcohol also risk adding weight and thus increasing pressure and stiffness on their joints.
Fried foods
When making fried foods, a lot of cooking oil is used. This cooking oil has a lot of omega-6 and other saturated fatty acids that worsen psoriatic arthritis symptoms by increasing inflammation. Additionally, most fried foods also contain various other ingredients such as added sugar and salt that can cause inflammation and rapid weight gain.
In conclusion, these are some foods you shouldn’t eat if you have psoriatic arthritis. The rule of the thumb is to avoid inflammatory foods, those with added sugar and that can increase weight. Depending on the intensity of your symptoms, you can visit your doctor to get recommendations on foods that you can eat in smaller quantities. Therefore, you shouldn’t just assume that these foods can’t harm you.
