Osteoarthritis: Nutrition That Really Helps

Diet for osteoarthritis – you should avoid these foods

Joint problems are aggravated by high-sugar foods.

• Therefore, sweet ready-made products such as fruit yogurt or pudding should be avoided.
• In addition to baked goods containing sugar, this also includes sweets of all kinds: snacks such as crisps, chocolate, or pretzels. You can only buy dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa with a clear conscience. Find out here about five healthy alternatives to chocolate.
• The same applies to the drinks. Try to drink only sugar-free liquids and avoid sweetened beverages.
• You should also stay away from products with white flour. These include, for example, pretzels, crispbread, or classic toast.
• Finally, you should also avoid alcohol, as it increases inflammation and thus pain.

Nutritional approaches at a glance

Osteoarthritis can be made worse by being overweight, which is why you should eat a balanced diet. Doctors recommend an anti-inflammatory diet with the following foods.

• For breakfast, you can choose sugar-free muesli or oatmeal.
• You can also access any whole grain products and, for example, use the whole grain variants instead of normal pasta, rice, or bread.
• When it comes to vegetables, you don’t have to make any compromises and you can eat everything. Anything goes with herbs, too.
• This does not necessarily apply to fruit, as you should only eat small amounts of sugar-rich fruit. These include, for example, pears, pineapples, bananas, and grapes.
• Nuts are allowed, as long as they are not salted peanuts. With sunflower seeds, you should still reduce your consumption to small amounts.
• Fish and seafood are not a problem as long as they are not breaded or prepared with a cream or mayonnaise sauce.
• You can fry your food as usual. Coconut oil is best for this. But you can also use other oils such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, walnut oil, or hemp oil when cooking.
• When it comes to meat and sausages, you should use chicken and turkey more often and less veal, beef, or game. You should avoid pork and all other types of meat that have a high acid content.
• In addition, the permitted amount of meat and fish is a maximum of two weekly portions, which are determined at around 100 grams of gross weight.
• Eggs and dairy products are only healthy for you in moderation. You should get by with three eggs a week.
• There isn’t an exact measure for dairy products, but you should switch to the low-fat varieties of cheese and yogurt.
• Finally, you can reach for herbs and spices without restrictions. Among the spices, you can also use more pepper, turmeric, and rosehip powder, as these have a positive effect on inflammation.