Diet and Arthritis.
Last updated Thursday, July 06, 2006
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Connections between diet and arthritisAre their connections between food and arthritis? Research has shown several connections between food and some forms of
arthritis; these include links with gout, osteoporosis and Reiter's
Syndrome.How do purines in a diet affect gout?
Gout
is the most familiar example of a known link between diet and
arthritis. People with gout may have a painful attack if they eat foods
with high levels of chemicals called purines.
When you have gout, your body has trouble with the way it
uses or gets rid of purines. A build-up of purines in the body can
worsen the symptoms of gout. Fortunately, medications to control gout
are very effective. If you are on gout medication, you probably will
not even have to change your diet. But, your doctor may suggest that
you drink more fluids to help your body get rid of purines.
Read our Gout article for more information about diet and gout.How does calcium in a diet affect osteoporosis?
Diets low in calcium or high in alcohol may increase your chances for getting osteoporosis.
In osteoporosis, bones lose enough strength so that they break easily.
Both calcium and alcohol affect the strength of your bones.
You may need to increase the amount of calcium in your diet
to 1000-1500 milligrams (mg), especially if you are a woman under 35.
Calcium is one of the main building blocks of bone. During the first
20-25 years of life, your bones are building up peak strength. Studies
show most women only get about 500 mg of calcium a day in their diet.
But, calcium appears to be only one of several factors in building and
maintaining strong bones. Studies show that calcium alone will not slow
down osteoporosis once you have it.
Heavy drinking, on the other hand, weakens bones. Drinking more than two drinks per day increases your chances for weaker bones.
How can food affect Reiter's syndrome? Food or water spoiled by salmonella or certain other bacteria can lead to a form of arthritis called Reiter's syndrome.
People who develop this rare kind arthritis seem to have a defect in
their body's defense system. This makes them more likely to develop
arthritis in response to certain infections.
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