8 Foods You Should Never Eat If You Have Joint Pain

Health

8 Foods You Should Never Eat If You Have Joint Pain

Joints form the connections between bones. They provide support and help you move. Any damage to the joints from disease or injury can interfere with your movement and cause a lot of pain.

Many different conditions can lead to painful joints, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, gout, strains, sprains, and other injuries. Joint pain is extremely common. In one national survey, about one-third of adults reported having joint pain within the past 30 days. Knee pain was the most common complaint, followed by shoulder and hip pain, but joint pain can affect any part of your body, from your ankles and feet to your shoulders and hands. As you get older, painful joints become increasingly more common.

Joint pain can range from mildly irritating to debilitating. It may go away after a few weeks (acute), or last for several weeks or months (chronic). Even short-term pain and swelling in the joints can affect your quality of life.

1. Sugar

As good as those donuts, chocolate bars and other desserts look, you’ll want to resist if you suffer from joint pain. Processed sugars trigger the release of inflammatory messengers known as cytokines. This includes sugar in candy, sodas and cereals and other snacks. Excess sugar in the body also puts pressure on the joints and can lead to weight gain.

2. Monosodium glutamate

Monosodium glutamate or MSG is a flavor-enhancing additive that is most commonly found in soy sauce and Asian foods. But it can also be found in fast food meals, prepared soups and soup mixes, salad dressings and deli meats. MSG can trigger inflammation in the body and worsen joint pain.