Can diet affect arthritis pain? (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Can diet affect arthritis pain?

5:25pm Thursday 5th February 2009 in Health By Doctor Tom Smith

Q. How much does diet play in causing the pain of osteoarthritis? Should I be avoiding any foods? I have arthritis in the hips and knees and don’t want to have surgery.

A. There is no good evidence that avoiding any particular food will either prevent, or treat, osteoarthritis. Nor is it likely to do so, as it is a chronic degenerative disease of the joint surfaces, a tendency to which is inherited, and which can be the result of repeated injuries or putting too much weight through the joints. If you already have arthritis in your joints, altering your diet won’t reverse the damage. If you are overweight, losing the extra pounds, or stones, can help a lot, as this takes pressure off the affected joints. As for surgery, it could change your life, turning you from being house-bound into someone who can walk and enjoy life again without pain. So don’t reject it out of hand.