3 Foods That Could Be Making Your Joints Hurt <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="hero"> <div class="info-header"> <section class="info"><br /></section> </div> </div> <br /> <article class="left "> <div class="article-section top-article-section"> <div class="main-image"> <div class="image-inner"> <div class="pinit"> <img alt="foods that make your joints hurt" src="http://www.prevention.com/sites/prevention.com/files/styles/article_main_image_2200px/public/articles/2015/11/gettyimages-513088839-knee-pain-sebastian-kaulitzki-opener.jpg?itok=3ExGem0r" title="foods that make your joints hurt" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> <span class="photo-cred">Photograph by Sebastian Kaulitzki/Getty Images</span></div> </div> <div class="sharebar-wrapper"> <section class="field-body">When joints stiffen and swell, the pain can make everything—from picking up a pen to taking a walk to cooking dinner—completely and utterly miserable. If you don't know the feeling, chances are you know someone who does—about 1 in 5 adults in the United States have doctor-diagnosed arthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<br /> <br /> While there's no way to make sure your painful joints disappear forever, research shows that certain foods—those dubbed "anti-inflammatory" like olive oil, nuts, and fatty fish—can help. And others can hurt. (<em>The Power Nutrient Solution</em> is the first-ever plan that tackles the root cause of virtually every major ailment and health condition today. Get your copy now.)<br /> <br /> If you're eating these culprits day in and day out, you could be increasing the odds of a flare-up.<br /> <strong>Tomatoes<br /> </strong><br /> Although tomatoes are typically thought to be anti-inflammatory, those who suffer from a specific type of arthritis called gout have long thought the red fruit actually triggers joint pain—and new research proves them right. Researchers surveyed 2,051 people who have gout, 20% of whom reported tomatoes as a trigger. They then analyzed data from 12,720 people who did not have gout and found that eating tomatoes increased the levels of uric acid found in their blood. High uric acid is the major underlying cause of gout. Not ready to give up your tomatoes? Researchers say you don't have to—just cut back and make sure to regularly take a uric acid–reducing drug.<br /> <img alt="tomatoes" class="media-element file-default" src="http://www.prevention.com/sites/prevention.com/files/styles/article_main_image_2200px/public/gettyimages-493513693-tomato-james-ross.jpg?itok=sRSGCA8V" title="tomatoes" typeof="foaf:Image" /><br /> <strong>Corn, Sunflower, Safflower, Soybean, and Cottonseed Oils<br /> </strong><br /> You've probably heard of the mighty omega-3 fatty acids—the molecules that make salmon and walnuts so good for you. But have you heard of omega-6 fatty acids? You're probably eating way too much of them. Since omega-6 fatty acids are found in soybean oil, and soybean oil is used in just about every packaged food you pluck from grocery store shelves, the typical American diet can contain up to 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. That out-of-whack ratio could be messing with your joints—research shows any ratio bigger than 10 to 1 can cause problems like asthma, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation. Researchers suggest anyone with rheumatoid arthritis get their ratio down to 2 or 3 to 1. This actually suppressed inflammation in study participants with the condition. Omega-6 fatty acids are also found in fried foods, margarine, egg yolks, and meats.<br /> <div class="media media-element-container media-default"> <div class="main-image"> <div class="image-inner"> <div class="pinit"> <img alt="soybean oil" class="media-element file-default" src="http://www.prevention.com/sites/prevention.com/files/styles/article_main_image_2200px/public/gettyimages-177427351-soybean-oil-pappystudio.jpg?itok=tk2ShYM0" title="soybean oil" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> <span class="photo-cred">Photograph by pappystudio/Getty Images</span></div> </div> </div> <br /> <strong>Sugary Soda<br /> </strong><br /> Even diet soda has its downsides. But the supersweet stuff is no boon for your health, either. In addition to putting you at risk for diabetes and heart disease, sugar consumption can trigger the release of inflammatory "messengers" called cytokines, according to the <em>American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</em>. When researchers analyzed data from two large studies spanning 30 years, they found a link between soda consumption and arthritis risk. Women who drank one soda or more daily had a 63% greater risk of arthritis than those who didn't drink it at all.<br /> <br /> <div class="media media-element-container media-default"> <div class="main-image"> <div class="image-inner"> <div class="pinit"> <img alt="sugary soda" class="media-element file-default" src="http://www.prevention.com/sites/prevention.com/files/styles/article_main_image_2200px/public/gettyimages-166273117-soda-tetra-images.jpg?itok=JQWLSjwo" title="sugary soda" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div> </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </article></div> 3 Foods That Could Be Making Your Joints Hurt Photograph by Sebastian Kaulitzki/Getty Images ... Read more »
