Many people who suffer from arthritis, or study the causes and effects, believe the diet has a lot to do with why some people suffer and others don’t.
One idea is that acid produced in the body by our lifestyle choices, travels to the joints causing inflammation and pain.
Food on a normal dinner plate can have an impact on your body. For example, meat can convert to uric acid, starches break down into carbonic acid and dairy products break down into lactic acid.
Smoking, according to some, can also create too much acid in the body.
If you visit your GP and are diagnosed with arthritis, you will be prescribed medication that can control inflammation and suppress the pain.
But many are turning to self help to fight the condition, with herbs believed to have healing properties being widely used. These include meadowsweet, peppermint, wintergreen, birch and white and black willow bark.
It is believed Devil’s Claw, boswellia, uva ursi and mullein are herbs that can counteract mucus and prevent inflammation.
You can make your own salve to reduce inflammation by mixing butter or oil, such as shea or cocoa butter, coconut, olive or almond oil, and add drops of peppermint, clove, wintergreen, eucalyptus, or spearmint essential oils.
When joints become inflamed, you can soak in hot water and essential oils of peppermint and eucalyptus to soothe the affected area.
While these herbs and oils may help, modifying your diet may have a more profound effect on your condition. You may find cutting down on meat and dairy products and limiting the amount of acidic drinks you consume, such as beer, orange juice, wine and coffee.
Your doctor may be able to give you details of a diet plan you can safely follow if you want to cut out food that has the potential to exacerbate your condition.
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