Can Coffee Cause Arthritis
There are a number of risk factors associated with developing rheumatoid arthritis. You are more likely to develop the condition if you are a woman between the ages of 40 and 60, smoke, have a family history of rheumatoid arthritis, or are clinically obese. Of course, none of these factors guarantee a future diagnosis, but they do increase your risk of developing the condition. However, many patients at The Pain Center of Arizona wonder whether their coffee drinking habits are a risk factor as well.
There actually is no consensus on whether or not coffee makes people more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. The results of research studies do not agree some reports say coffee can cause arthritis while others have found no relationship.
Some of the research discrediting this claim states coffee contains an antioxidant known as polyphenol. Polyphenols health effects are not definite, but traditional medicine suggests that the antioxidant can cause an anti-inflammatory effect. Green teas and fruit smoothies also contain polyphenol and are typically recommended for rheumatoid arthritis patients because they may help reduce pain and swelling in the joints.
The advice and information contained in this article are for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physicians advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.
How Do You Stop Ra Flare Ups
Coffee And The Rheumatoid Factor
*All individuals are unique. Your results can and will vary.
There has been some research into coffee and its linked to rheumatoid arthritis and the results are not very good news for coffee drinkers. The research has shown a link to the increase of the rheumatoid factor and coffee. So what does this mean for you? If you drink coffee on a regular basis, theres a much bigger risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis than those who dont drink coffee or drink it rarely.
This research kinda contradicts the studies that show coffee is good for people who suffer from autoimmune diseases and, as we talked about above, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. So which studies are you meant to believe? Well, at the moment theres not enough research on either side to say exactly what damage or good your coffee is doing to your joints.
Read Also: Is Arthritis Considered An Autoimmune Disease
Findings From The Meta
Association Between Coffee Consumption and Risk of RA
Five studies had examined the association between coffee intake and subsequent risk of RA . Pooled effect sizes for the highest vs. lowest category of coffee intake indicated a positive statistically significant association with risk of RA . There was no statistically significant between-study heterogeneity . Sensitivity analysis showed that removing each particular study at a time, did not affect the summary effects. We observed some evidence of publication bias using Beggs test and Eggers test . There was a significant positive association such that an additional cup of coffee per day was correlated with a 6% increase in the risk of RA . Non-linear dose response analysis showed a positive monotonic relationship between coffee intake and risk of RA . The quality of the evidence was rated as moderate based on the NutriGrade score .
Figure 2. Forest plots showing relative risks of developing rheumatoid arthritis for highest vs. lowest categories of coffee intake, caffeinated coffee intake, decaffeinated coffee intake, and caffeine intake.
Figure 3. Forest plots showing linear dose-response associations for each one cup/day increase of coffee intake, caffeinated coffee intake, decaffeinated coffee intake, and each 200 mg/d increase of caffeine intake with risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
Association Between Caffeinated Coffee Consumption and Risk of RA
Association Between Decaffeinated Coffee Consumption and Risk of RA
What About The Mediterranean Diet
Studies have suggested that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the inflammation that contributes to the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
As well as helping to reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis, eating a Mediterranean-style diet offers many other health benefits, including weight loss.
Following a Mediterranean diet may also reduce the risk of:
When someone is living with osteoarthritis, their body is in an inflammatory state.
While foods with anti-inflammatory properties may reduce symptoms, some foods contain substances that actively contribute to this inflammation. It is best to avoid or restrict these dietary choices.
The types of food to avoid are those that include the following:
Also Check: Can You Have Arthritis In One Finger
Recommended Reading: What Medications Are Prescribed For Arthritis
Avoiding Dairy Helps With Osteoarthritis
There are also claims that avoiding dairy can help with osteoarthritis. Although milk, cheese, and other dairy products for some people, these foods can have anti-inflammatory effects in others.
People who have inflammatory symptoms relating to gout may find skimmed and low-fat milk protective against this condition.
An elimination diet can help people to determine whether or not their symptoms improve or worsen with dairy intake.
Opt For Coffee Without The Sugar
Black coffee has many wonderful health benefits, but coffee lovers with arthritis should be careful about which ingredients they’re consuming in their morning cup of Joe.
“It might be obvious that beverages like sodas are full of sugar, but guess what, so are many of the fancy coffee beverages that people consume regularly,” says Goodson. “Caramel this, mocha that, chai lattes and the like all often have lots of sugar, sometimes 30 to 50 grams each. Consistent intake of sugar can contribute to inflammation, potentially making arthritis pain worse.”
Read Also: How To Keep Arthritis From Getting Worse
The Takeaway For People With Ra Who Crave Caffeine
The bottom line is that coffee may be good in some ways but can be bad in others, such as increasing a persons heart rate, says Andrew Wang, MD, PhD, a rheumatologist and an assistant professor of medicine and immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.
I tell my patients to drink coffee if they enjoy it, but not to drink it as medicine, and as always, to listen to their body, Dr. Wang says.
What Are The Causes And Risk Factors Of Arthritis
The cause of arthritis may vary according to the type of the disease. Most types of arthritis do not have a known cause.
Research has revealed the role of three major factors in certain types of arthritis:
- Genetic factors cause some types of arthritis to run in families.
- Physical activity and diet affect arthritis symptoms.
- The presence of other medical conditions such as infections and chronic diseases such as lupus puts you at risk for arthritis.
Several factors may increase a personâs risk for arthritis:
- Age: The risk of getting arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis, increases with age. Age may also worsen the symptoms of arthritis.
- Gender: Arthritis generally affects women more often than men.
- Weight: Being obese or overweight puts extra stress on the joints that support an individualâs weight. Increased weight beyond the normal range for a personâs age and height increases joint wear and tear, and the risk of arthritis.
- Occupation: Certain jobs may involve the worker to keep doing the same movements repeatedly. These include jobs where one needs to do heavy lifting or repeated fine work as done by musicians. It can cause joint stress and/or an injury, which may lead to arthritis.
- Injury: Joint injury or trauma may cause osteoarthritis.
- Autoimmune diseases: These may misdirect the immune system towards the joints as seen in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
- Infections: Certain infections may lead to joint inflammation as seen in tubercular arthritis and .
Recommended Reading: Is Movement Good For Arthritis
How To Reap The Most Benefits From Your Mug Of Decaf
While all decaf coffee is considered anti-inflammatory, keep in mind that the way you serve your decaf can also add to its anti-inflammatory potential. âItâs important to remember that when preparing your decaf coffee, to try and limit pro-inflammatory additions like sugarâyes, even organic sugar or demerara sugarâto maximize the health benefits of your cup of joe,â says Manaker. Moderation is, again, key: Were not talking about your once-a-year Pumpkin Spice Latte habit were talking about starting every single morning with a drink that far exceeds the American Heart Associations daily recommended limit of six teaspoons.
Some health experts also say using artificial sweeteners isnt exactly a great choice for fighting inflammation either. A study published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health found that mice who were fed sucralose daily throughout their lives eventually developed leukemia and other blood cancers. While the Food and Drug Administration has deemed artificial sweeteners as safe, its still something to be mindful of when trying to optimize the anti-inflammatory benefits of coffee.
Dont Miss: Is Cucumber Good For Arthritis
Tips For Cutting Down On Soda
If youâre ready to cut down on your soda consumption, here are some tips to get you started:
Switch to diet soda.
Diet soda, which uses artificial sweeteners rather than sugar and has few or no calories, was not found to be associated with increased RA risk in the Nurses Study. If you want to continue drinking soda, switch to diet.
Find a good substitute.
Drink seltzer water or carbonated no sugar added juices for the same fizz as soda. Or better yet, drink water instead. Your water doesnât have to be plainyou can make it more interesting by adding lemon, lime, cucumber, or mint.
Or drink skim milk. The Nurses Study found that drinking skim milk actually cuts the risk for RApossibly because of the healthy vitamin D it contains.
Taper off gradually.
Donât try to quit all at once, especially if you consume several sodas a day. This can make quitting much harder and also cause caffeine withdraw. Instead, use a âstep downâ approach by cutting your consumption in half each week.
Stop super sizing.
You can still have soda occasionallybut when you do, choose the smallest size. Try to stick to a serving size no more than a regular can of soda, which is 12 ounces.
Put a water bottle on your desk and a water filter pitcher in your refrigerator.
When you have the means to drink cold filtered water conveniently available to you throughout the day, youâre more likely to choose that option.
You May Like: Snapple Caffeine
Read Also: What Is The Worst Kind Of Arthritis
A New Study Suggests There May Be A Link Between Drinking Lots Of Java And Rheumatoid Arthritis
Follow @TIME
Finnish researchers conducted two separatestudies, both examining whether coffee had anyassociation with the development of RA. In the largerstudy of more than 18,000 participants, researchersfound that drinking 11 or more cups of coffee a dayincreased the risk for developing rheumatoid factor, an antibody in the blood that doesn’tnecessarily cause RA but is believed to precede it bya few years. As many as 80 percent of the 2.1 millionAmerican patients suffering from RA test positive forthis factor, convincing doctors there’s a significantassociation between the two.
In the second study of almost 7,000 participants,researchers found that those consuming four or more cupsof coffee per day were two times more likely to developRA than those who drank less. Because there are manytypes of arthritis, it’s important to note that this RA was the type whose onset was associated with positive tests forrheumatoid factor.
The take-home message is caution rather than the need for drasticbehavior change. It might be prudent to say that if you’repredisposed to RA  whether because you possess theother risk factors or because you have a geneticsusceptibility  it might be wise to cut back on themorning brew. So, until scientists can pinpoint thedefinite link, do your joints a favor and percolatewith care.
The Everyday Choices You Make Like How Active You Are And How You Handle Stress And Fatigue Affect Your Joints Heres How To Make Sure You Might Not Unknowingly Be Making Things Worse
You take your medications as prescribed. You see your doctor regularly and are good about sticking to your arthritis treatment plan all key steps to helping to ease symptoms and prevent disease progression. But the everyday choices you make like how active you are and how you handle stress and fatigue affect your joints, too. And sometimes, seemingly inconsequential habits may derail your good efforts. It helps to be aware, so you can make adjustments if needed. Here are some surprising habits that could be hurting your joints when you have arthritis:
Don’t Miss: Can Rheumatoid Arthritis Cause Osteoarthritis
Is Coffee Contributing To Your Back Pain
Do you like grabbing a cup of coffee with friends or camping out at your favorite little coffee shop in town to catch up on work and emails? Is coffee a social aspect for you, or are you someone who relies on that caffeine boost to get you up in the morning, and keep you going throughout the day? I personally am the latter! However, something so trivial and helpful throughout the day can actually be causing harm. If you drink coffee regularly and also experience back pain, it is possible that there may be a connection.
Although drinking coffee won’t physically injure you, it can cause back aches and enhance previously existing aches and pains. According to The Healthy Home Economist, caffeine specifically places stress on the adrenal glands. These are round disk shaped organs that sit atop each kidney on the posterior side of the body. Stressing out the adrenals all the time with an unchecked caffeine habit weakens not only the adrenal glands but the entire area around them which includes the lower back, reports the publication. Weak adrenals can also take vital nutrients away from the ligaments and tendons, which can then affect the joints. This can include the sacroiliac joint which supports the weight of the entire body.
Stashing Kitchen Gadgets In The Cabinets
You like everything to have a place nothing wrong with that. But for the blender you use make your daily smoothies, the right place may be your kitchen counter. And your go-to electronic jar opener should be stored in a top drawer. Set up your home to make life a little easier on you, particularly on the more difficult days, say experts. In the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, keep everything you use often within easy reach. And use specialized assistive tools throughout the day zipper pulls, spring-action scissors, and long shoe horns to help conserve energy and ease pain. These tips can help make cooking easier, and these tips can help with other household chores.
Also Check: What Can I Do For Arthritis In My Big Toe
Risks And Side Effects
While coffee in moderation has some health benefits, it can cause unwanted side effects and risks when consumed in excess. Caffeine intake over 400 milligrams per day could lead to:
- Elevated heart rate
- Increased risk for some diseases
- Caffeine withdrawal
In addition, adding creamer, sugar, or other sweeteners increases health risks. For example, added calories and sugar could cause excess weight and increase your risk of developing diabetes.
Foods To Avoid If You Have Chronic Joint Pain
Many people in the Houston, Texas, area suffer from joint pain. They may feel as though there is nothing more they can do to cure their pain. However, a pain-free life is sometimes as simple as adjusting your diet. NASA Bone & Joint Specialists understands that it can be overwhelming to figure out a diet that is joint-friendly, so weve listed out some of the top foods to avoid if youre suffering from joint pain:
01. Eggs
Consuming eggs regularly can lead to an increased amount of swelling and joint pain. The yolks contain arachidonic acid, which helps trigger inflammation in the body. Eggs also contain saturated fat which can also induce joint pain. If you cant give up eggs completely, pass on the yolks and simply use the egg whites instead.
02. Dairy
Dairy contains a high level of protein casein. This type of protein triggers inflammation and pain in the joints, and may even contribute to irritation around the joints. Some dairy products, such as butter, contain a high amount of saturated fat. This can also contribute to inflammation and joint pain. Soy milk and almond milk are some good substitutions for dairy products.
03. Processed Meats
Processed meats contain nitrites and purines. These chemicals increase inflammation and lead to joint pain. Meats such as hot dogs, corned beef, bacon, and sausages are all processed and should be avoided. Reach for lean, fresh cuts of meat instead.
04. Sugar
05. Fried Foods
06. Refined Grains
You Might Also Enjoy…
Don’t Miss: What Is The Best Fish Oil For Arthritis
Data Synthesis And Analysis
We considered the RRs and their 95% CI as the effect size for reporting the results of the present meta-analysis. The reported HRs were considered equal to RRs . We calculated the highest vs. lowest estimates for the main analyses. Due to the low number of studies , a fixed-effects meta-analysis was performed for combining study-specific results , using maximally adjusted RRs with 95% CIs . The overall effect size was calculated with consideration of between-study heterogeneity. Cochrane’s Q-test and I2 were used as indicators of between-study heterogeneity. I2 values > 50% were considered as significant heterogeneity among studies . Sensitivity analysis was conducted to find which particular study or group of studies affected the overall result by sequential exclusion of each study at a time. Publication bias was examined by visual inspection of funnel plot asymmetry and then formally assessed by Egger’s asymmetry test and Begg’s test .