There are many joint diseases, and for most pathologies, diet does not affect the clinical course, outcome, or effectiveness of treatment. But there are a few exceptions. For example, gout. With this disease, uric acid metabolism is disrupted, so a diet with limited purines is an important part of treatment. For most other diseases, the main goal of nutrition is to maintain normal weight or reduce excess weight. Let’s figure out what you can and cannot eat with some joint problems.
The purpose of diet for diseases of the musculoskeletal system
A diet for diseases of the musculoskeletal system can be aimed at:
- Providing bone and cartilage tissue with all the necessary substances so as not to disrupt metabolic processes.
- Prevent substances from entering the body that can worsen the condition of joints due to certain diseases.
- Maintain a normal weight or reduce excess weight to reduce the load on the sore joints of the lower extremities, primarily the knee and hip.
It is worth noting that for most orthopedic diseases no diet is needed.
Principles of proper nutrition for joint diseases
If your joints hurt, the first thing you should do is find out why they hurt and which joints are affected. Depending on the diagnosis, you may be prescribed a diet. At the same time, there is no universal diet that suits all patients, with damage to any joints, against the background of any diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
There are only three diseases for which diet can be an important part of treatment. Let’s arrange them in descending order of importance of proper nutrition:
- Gout.
- Osteoarthritis of the hip and knee joints.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
If you have pulled a ligament, torn a meniscus, developed shoulder arthrosis, adhesive capsulitis, rotator cuff syndrome, or one of the hundreds of other known joint diseases, you don’t need any diet. It won’t cure the disease or even relieve your symptoms.
Dietary principles for gout: reducing the consumption of purines and alcohol in order to reduce the level of uric acid in the blood.
Nutritional principles for osteoarthritis of large joints of the lower extremities: increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables, other low-calorie foods, and reducing the consumption of fats and simple sugars to control or reduce body weight.
Nutritional principles for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases with joint damage: limiting the consumption of potential allergens and increasing the consumption of beneficial polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids.
Products that should predominate in the diet
In this section we will list the foods that should form the basis of the diet for gout, arthrosis of large joints of the lower extremities and rheumatoid arthritis.
Gout
The DASH and Mediterranean diets can be the basis of a diet for gout. What you can eat:
- vegetables;
- fruits;
- porridge;
- vegetable oils;
- fish;
- legumes;
- nuts.
It is advisable to include milk and dairy products in the diet. They are useful for such patients, as they improve uric acid metabolism. Yogurt has a particularly beneficial effect on urate metabolism.
Previously, soy was limited in gout patients, but now there is evidence that it is safe for gout. Therefore, soy milk, meat and other soy products can be a good replacement for products harmful to joints. Other products that have received “amnesty” and can be part of the diet for gout: citrus fruits, coffee, tea.
Osteoarthritis
A special diet is required only for those patients who are overweight. In this case, the diet should be dominated by products with low or medium caloric content, with a low glycemic and insulin index.
What to eat:
- vegetables;
- fruits;
- whole grain products;
- legumes;
- lean meat;
- dairy products.
It is advisable to bake and boil food rather than fry or stew to reduce fat intake.
Rheumatoid arthritis
The diet can be anything, but with a low content of potential allergens and a high content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are found in fish, seafood, flaxseed and camelina oil. Omega-3 reduces the risk of rheumatoid arthritis by 35%, and in patients with an existing disease, omega-3 may help with joint pain due to the anti-inflammatory effect. It is worth noting that the effectiveness of omega-3 in this disease has not yet been confirmed by high-quality studies.
Products to exclude from the diet
In this section we will list foods that should not be eaten if you have gout, osteoarthritis and autoimmune joint diseases.
Gout
Here’s what you shouldn’t eat if you have gout, so as not to provoke an attack of joint pain:
Alcohol. Half of all gout sufferers are people who abuse alcohol. Even occasional drinking increases the frequency and severity of attacks of this disease.
Meat and seafood. High consumption of these foods increases the risk of developing gout by one and a half times, and eating them with an established diagnosis increases the frequency of gout attacks by 5 times.
Sweet drinks and sugar. Sources of fructose. One serving of a sweet drink per day increases the risk of gout in men by 45%, and two servings by 85%. In women, even one serving increases the likelihood of gout by 74%, two servings by 2.4 times.
Osteoarthritis
For osteoarthritis of large joints of the legs, it is worth limiting the following products:
- any confectionery products;
- bread;
- mayonnaise;
- fat meat;
- salo;
- smoked sausage;
- fatty dairy products (sour cream, cream, butter);
- vegetable oil;
- nuts and seeds;
- any other food that is high in fat and high in calories.
Limiting such foods will help you lose weight if you are overweight, but it is advisable to combine the diet with exercise.
Rheumatoid arthritis
An elimination diet can help reduce the severity and frequency of attacks in some patients. It involves limiting foods with high allergenic properties, dyes, and preservatives. It is worth giving preference to natural, ecological food. Some studies show a decrease in blood inflammation markers, pain severity, duration of morning stiffness, and frequency of rheumatoid arthritis attacks when using an elimination diet. Although, in general, the evidence base for diet therapy for this disease is not large, and therefore most doctors do not prescribe any diet to their patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Sample menus for joint diseases
Sample menu for gout. Morning: buckwheat porridge and yogurt. Lunch: potatoes with fish. Dinner: beans with mushrooms and vegetables.
Sample menu for osteoarthritis. Morning: muesli with milk. Lunch: cabbage with chicken breast. Dinner: fruit with low-fat yogurt.
Sample menu for rheumatoid arthritis. Morning: oatmeal with cheese. Lunch: pea soup and mashed potatoes with a fish cutlet. Dinner: vegetable salad and chicken cutlet.
Now you know what you can’t eat if you have joint diseases. With most joint pathologies, you can eat everything, and only with gout, you can’t eat much.
If you have any problems with your joints, contact Dr. Glazkov’s Clinic in Moscow. We will find out the cause of the pain and select an effective treatment.
