Arthritis is an inflammatory condition that affects people all over the world. Osteoarthritis, the most prevalent form, affects the joints and bones. Arthritis causes a variety of symptoms including pain, swelling, stiffness of joints and a reduced range of motion. These symptoms can make life challenging because it is hard to complete everyday tasks. Fortunately, if you suffer from arthritis, avoiding certain trigger foods may help to reduce your symptoms:

1. Refined sugar
All people should try to limit their intake of refined sugars, but people with arthritis should avoid it as much as possible. Refined sugar can cause inflammation and swelling that makes arthritis worse. It can reduce your range of motion even more and cause frustration.

2. Fried foods
Fried foods are another culprit which can make the symptoms of arthritis far worse. The main reason for this is that most fried foods contain processed ingredients. These processed ingredients can and often do cause arthritic flare ups in the body. Some examples of friend foods that people with arthritis should avoid include, but are not limited to, fried chicken, french fried, mozzarella sticks, onion rings and any other foods containing high amounts of batter.

3. Dairy
If at all possible, people with arthritis should do the best they can to avoid consuming dairy products. Some examples of dairy products that people with arthritis should avoid are milk, ice cream, cheese, yogurt and butter. The reason why dairy products cause so many complications for people who have arthritis is that these foods contain a protein called casein, which trigger the body to cause inflammation and pain in the joints.

4. Alcohol
Alcohol is another thing that people with arthritis should avoid consuming if possible. At the very least, they should limit their intake of alcohol. Some of the things alcohol can do to people with arthritis is cause joint pain, interfere with sleep, cause depression and reduce physical activity.

5. Salt
Recent studies have found a link between high salt intake and autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis. Salty foods can trigger inflammation. This means that people with arthritis should limit their consumption of salty foods and other foods high in sodium. Some examples of food with high salt content include smoked or cured meats, frozen dinners, canned foods such as soup and raviolis, pizza, salad dressing, chips and other bagged snacks. It may be difficult to do, but people with arthritis should try to keep their intake of these types of foods low.

6. Caffeine
Finally, caffeine is considered a product that people with arthritis should consume on a very limited basis. High levels of caffeine can be found in coffees, teas, energy drinks and chocolates. Some studies suggest that consuming too much caffeine may cause inflammation and joint pain. If possible, people with arthritis should do their best to keep their consumption of caffeinated products low.

Although it will likely be difficult for some, people with arthritis should definitely limit or eliminate their consumption of these six food products. This, along with osteoarthritis treatment and biological arthritis medication prescribed by your doctor, can be very beneficial to patients.