6 Foods to Avoid When You Have Rheumatoid Arthritis

There is no cure-all diet for rheumatoid arthritis. But if you suffer from RA symptoms such as joint pain and inflammation, it’s smart to stick to a nutritious diet and avoid foods that may make arthritis symptoms worse.

Where should you start? “You want to reduce inflammation [by avoiding inflammatory foods], and you want to avoid foods that can lead to being overweight,” says Marian T. Hannan, DSc, MPH, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a senior scientist at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research in Boston.

Extra pounds put strain on your joints and cause further pain and injury, especially in the knees, hips, and ankles. Extra fat also interferes with muscle strength and can infiltrate underused muscle, reducing muscle “quality.”

“There’s no proven diet that will do anywhere near as well as the current drug therapy,” says Vinicius Domingues, MD, a rheumatologist at the Allergy, Asthma & Arthritis Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. “There’s no diet that’s going to put your arthritis in remission.”

But what you eat — or don’t eat — can make a difference. Here are some foods to avoid, because they contribute extra calories and provoke inflammation that worsens your RA symptoms.

1. Red Meat

2. Sugar and Refined Flour

Your blood sugar levels can surge after you’ve eaten simple carbohydrates that are easily broken down by the body. Such foods include sugary snacks and drinks, white-flour bread and pasta, and white rice.

Steer clear of refined carbohydrates, and opt instead for whole grains (in breads, pasta, and rice), along with beverages that don’t contain sugar.

3. Fried Foods

As an alternative to fried foods, “try to use an air fryer whenever possible, and choose baked foods over fried ones,” says Domingues.

4. Gluten

5. Alcohol

Most medications are metabolized by the liver, and therefore, alcohol consumption should be avoided if one is taking methotrexate, for example, to maximize liver function, says Domingues. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can also increase the risk of stomach problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, when you drink.

6. Processed Foods

Processed foods, such as supermarket-shelf snacks like chips and cookies, meals that come ready-to-eat or require minimal cooking, and sugary sodas and drinks, tend to be loaded with ingredients that cause inflammation. Such products or packaged convenience foods are often packed with sugar, refined flour, salt, and saturated fats — all making the food easy and irresistible but also unhealthy.

Always read the Nutrition Facts label and the ingredient list on processed foods to make wise choices that won’t aggravate your rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

As you work to improve your diet, remember that researchers have not been able to agree on a standard RA diet, and a change in the foods you eat isn’t a substitute for treatment. Instead, think of these adjustments as steps to better RA management and overall well-being.

The Takeaway

• There’s no specific diet for rheumatoid arthritis, and dietary changes alone aren’t a substitute for RA treatment. But what you eat — or don’t eat — can have an effect on your joint pain, inflammation, and other RA symptoms.
• It’s important to avoid foods and beverages that promote inflammation and lead to weight gain, which can stress joints.
• Keep an eye on your intake of saturated fats, found in processed and fried foods, as well as red meat.
• Choose whole grains over refined carbohydrates (white flour breads, pastas, and rice) and limit sugary snacks and beverages, as well as desserts.
• The effect of alcohol and gluten on RA isn’t entirely understood. But if you take certain RA medications, it’s important to avoid drinking. And if gluten triggers a flare, try going gluten-free.