Vegetable Oils
Fatty acids are a component of many oils, but not all oils contain the right kind. Oils often contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are important for one’s health. In people with arthritis, the ratio of these fatty acids can affect arthritis symptoms.
If you have arthritis, you should stay away from diets that are rich in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids. Diets and oils that contain fatty acids in these proportions can worsen symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. This link was confirmed in two separate studies involving patients with osteoarthritis [15] and rheumatoid arthritis [16].
Salt-Rich Foods
Foods containing high amounts of salt are not very good for people with arthritis. A study in mice [17] found that mice fed very salt-rich diets had more severe arthritis symptoms than those fed foods with normal salt concentrations.
In another study in mice [18] that lasted two months, researchers found that symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis were less severe in mice fed diets low in salt than those fed high-salt diets. Mice given low-salt foods showed less bone destruction and cartilage breakdown. The inflammatory markers in this group were also lower than the group fed high-salt diets.
These findings were echoed in a human study [19] involving nearly 20,000 people, where high salt consumption was linked to a higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis.