Interaction With Certain Medications
Spinach may interact with certain medications and should be consumed in moderation after consultation with your doctor to avoid food-drug intolerance risk.
Spinach may interact with diabetic medications like glimepiride , glyburide , insulin, pioglitazone , rosiglitazone , chlorpropamide , glipizide , tolbutamide , and others.
Vitamin K in spinach may interfere with anticoagulants like warfarin and decrease their effectiveness.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about the topic and is not be taken as medical advice or as an alternative to medical advice, treatment, and/or diagnosis. Always consult with your doctor before trying out any of the remedies/recipes suggested in the blog post.
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Food As Treatment For Arthritis
Arthritis symptoms can include joint swelling, pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion. Some forms of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis, are inflammatory diseasescaused by inflammation in the body that affects the joints and other systems. Others, like osteoarthritis, are the causes of inflammation, particularly in the joints.
Either way, managing and reducing inflammation is essential to reducing pain, stiffness, and swelling for both types of conditions. Inflammation associated with arthritis is often targeted by medications with the aim to help improve symptoms and decrease pain. Certain foods also have inflammatory properties, making them a powerful complementary treatment for arthritis.
Researchers have found that the Mediterranean diet may provide benefits in reducing pain and swollen and tender joints in rheumatoid arthritis patients. One study looked at adherence to the Mediterranean diet and pain associated with osteoarthritis. It concluded that, within the study group of 4330 subjects, a lower risk of osteoarthritis symptoms and pain was associated with those who followed a Mediterranean diet pattern.
Other studies have looked at a general anti-inflammatory diet and its impact on arthritis. One research trial saw a positive effect of an anti-inflammatory diet on disease activity in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
The 10 Best Foods To Eat If You Have Arthritis
If you have arthritis, you know just how devastating this condition can be.
Arthritis is a term for a class of diseases that cause pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. It can affect people of all ages, genders and ethnic backgrounds.
There are many different types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is one type, which develops in joints with overuse. Another type is rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks your joints (
Fortunately, there are many foods that can ease inflammation and may help relieve some of the joint pain associated with arthritis.
In fact, one survey found that 24% of those with rheumatoid arthritis reported that their diet had an impact on the severity of their symptoms (
This article will look at 10 of the best foods to eat if you have arthritis.
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What Exactly Is Arthritis
Arthritis, or joint inflammation, describes swelling and tenderness of one or more of the joints. Its main symptoms include joint pain, swelling and stiffness. Arthritis is a general term for a group of over 100 diseases causing inflammation and swelling in and around the joints.
Joint inflammation is a natural response of the body to a disease or injury, but becomes arthritis when the inflammation persists in the absence of joint injury or infection. Arthritis usually worsens with age and may even lead to a loss of joint movement.
There are different types of arthritis such as:
- Warm skin over the joints
- Redness of the skin over the joints
- Reduced range of movement.
Green Smoothie Foods For Gout
Most of the same fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C that help with arthritis, joint pain and inflammation may provide benefit for gout.
Gout sufferers should moderate their intake of spinach, asparagus, flaxseed and cacao and rotate with greens that are lower in purines such as leaf lettuce and romaine.
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What Are Beneficial Diet Plans For Psoriatic Arthritis
Youre no stranger to the fact that there are multiple diet plans in the market. These include fad diets, low-carb diets, heart healthy diets, lemonade diets, juice diets, and the list goes on. Is there a specific diet plan for individuals living with psoriatic arthritis to follow? There are several, actually.
- Paleo diet: Also known as the Caveman Diet, the Paleo diet avoids grains, nuts, processed foods, and dairy. Key staples of the Paleo diet include fish, eggs, meat, fruits and vegetables . The benefits of this type of diet for individuals living with psoriatic arthritis is that the main staples of the Paleo diet can reduce swelling often caused by processed and sugary foods and dairy.
- Anti-inflammatory diet: One of the most prevalent symptoms of psoriatic arthritis is joint inflammation. Eating foods with anti-inflammatory properties can reduce swelling. Fatty fish, leafy greens, and a variety of fruits are great food choices for less inflammation.
- Weight loss diet: To lose weight, you need to limit your intake of carbohydrates, sugars, and fats. Keeping your weight down keeps pressure off of your joints. Additionally, individuals who are overweight tend to have more severe forms of arthritis and are more prone to develop psoriatic arthritis.
The Benefits Of Turmeric In Fighting Chronic Inflammation
Lets establish something first. Inflammation is not always a bad thing.
Its your bodys natural response to start the healing process .
Chronic conditions such as arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis involve chronic inflammation.
Acute and chronic inflammation are different and should be addressed differently.
When I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, nutrition helped me so much in managing acute inflammation.
I wanted to do things as naturally as possible and adopting a long-term approach to healing.
Curcumin or turmeric contains powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
There are a lot of studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of turmeric in reducing joint pain and symptoms of arthritis .
Smoothies are one of the best ways to supplement with turmeric .
Its barely noticeable when mixed with other fruits or greens. You can also add additional anti-inflammatory foods to make it even extra healthy!
I have a list of non-negotiable that I add to my smoothies and I always try to stick to it 90% of the time .
Heres my list of non-negotiable:
- Turmeric. Use fresh whenever possible.
- Greens
- Healthy fats
- Apple
- Flax meal
Im using a green base . But you can use kale or even lettuce
You can also add a protein like plain Greek yogurt , protein powder, or hemp seeds.
In this case, I ran out of greek yogurt so Im just using hemp hearts. Other extra anti-inflammatory ingredients you can add:
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Go Raw For Maximum Nutrients
At only a next-to-nothing 7 calories per cup, spinach contains 56 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin A, and 181 percent of your vitamin K, an essential component for blood clotting and bone health. To max out the health benefits, eat it raw whenever possible. The nutrients, such as folic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin K, found in spinach are sensitive to light or heat, so if you warm it up, you lose some of them, says Malik. People who are not on blood-thinning medication can eat up to 3 cups a day.
Why Some People Should Avoid Eating Spinach
I may be giving away my age, but when I grew up, Popeye was a popular cartoon hero, and he ate spinach to get strong muscles. We were always urged to eat your spinach, and be like Popeye.
Unfortunately, the spinach that was primarily available back then was the nasty, cooked to death kind that came in a can. It wasnt until my family started growing spinach in our own garden that I learned to love its tender, sweet, fresh-picked leaves in a salad or lightly stir fried with lemon and butter. Its tender texture and mild taste make it a favorite addition to smoothies, soups, and stir-fries. According to the USDA, Americans consume nearly 2½ pounds of spinach per year per capita these days.
Spinach is a nutrient-dense, dark green leafy vegetable, high in niacin, and other B vitamins, vitamins A, C, E, K, packed with calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. Spinach also contains some serious antioxidants that fight free radicals that damage the cells in your body, helping prevent cancer, chronic diseases, aging and other serious health issues. The folate it contains, an essential B vitamin, is especially vital for pregnant women and their fetuses, and also protects your cardiovascular system, paired with magnesium that helps essentially every bodily function, as well as maintaining a healthy blood pressure level. Spinach is also excellent brain food, improving memory and mental clarity.
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What Smoothie Is Good For Inflammation
So truth be told, many green smoothies can be good for fighting inflammation. The problem arises when too many fruits or added sweeteners are put into the smoothie recipe. Yes, fruits provide natural sugars but Im a true believer that sugar is sugar, regardless of the form. And if inflammation is something that you are battling, sugar or sweeteners are something you need to avoid.
This recipe incorporates a number of foods that have been found to target inflammation. Ive included a write-up on why Ive included each one below.
May Lunch Recipe: Spinach With Grilled Chicken Wrap
When following an anti-inflammatory diet, it is always a good idea to avoid red meat. Red meat can increase inflammation. Try instead to stick to lean meats like turkey, chicken, and fish. Spinach is a wonderful source of nutrients that reduce inflammation. In addition to Vitamin E, spinach a great source of anti-inflammatory compounds, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids. Parmesan cheese offers a reasonable amount of the fatty acids. These fatty acids play a role in reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and improving vascular function. Garlic contains diallyl disulfide, an anti-inflammatory compound that limits the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, garlic can help fight inflammation and may even help prevent cartilage damage from arthritis. In addition to its use as a natural sweetener, honey is used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent. Eating local honey can also help ward off seasonal allergy symptoms. Whole grains tend to be high in fiber. Fiber has body weightrelated anti-inflammatory properties. With its lower energy density, a diet high in fiber has been linked to lower body weight, alleviating obesity-induced chronic inflammation evidenced by reduced amounts of inflammatory markers in human and animal studies.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
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May Increase Risk Of Diarrhea And Constipation
Dietary fibers in spinach are the natural laxative that improves bowel movement and relieves constipation.
However, eating too much spinach may increase the risk of mild to moderate diarrhea because of its laxative properties.
In some cases, it may increase constipation risk as dietary fibers absorb water from the digestive tract making it difficult to pass stool.
It may also cause other problems like abdominal cramping, bloating, and intestinal gas, etc.
Are Mushrooms Good For Arthritis
Mushrooms are good for arthritis patients as they are rich in nutrients and they retard inflammation. They are the richest vegetarian source of vitamin D, which is important in maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and immunity. Other foods which are good for arthritis are:
- Fatty fish like sardines, salmon, and fresh tuna
- Unsweetened cocoa
- Cherries
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Spinach Extract Found To Suppress Osteoarthritis Deterioration And Improve Locomotion
Osteoarthritis is a common rheumatologic problem affecting over 100 million people worldwide. Symptoms include swelling in knee, pain and stiffness in joints.
However, there is no effective cure, rendering joint replacement as the only therapeutic option in patients with severe symptoms.
With phyto-pharmaceuticals becoming a popular research topic due to their lower risk of side effects and toxicity, a group of researchers from India embarked on research to evaluate the anti-osteoarthritic effects of Spinacia oleracea extract .
Best Beverages For Arthritis
Theres an old saying you are what you eat. But what you drink can have an enormous effect on your body and health too.
People dont put enough thought into what theyre drinking, says Sonya Angelone, a nutritionist in private practice in the San Francisco area and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. What you eat and drink is information to your body and if you are drinking well, it can definitely affect how you feel and the messages your body is getting.
Angelone recommends starting every day with a glass of water before you eat any food, since many people wake up a bit dehydrated. She says you want to stick primarily with water the rest of the day too. The typical recommendation is eight glasses a day.
In general, nutritionists advise you to avoid soda since its full of sugar, aspartame and phosphoric acid. The latter negatively affects your bodys ability to absorb calcium.
But what should you be drinking?
Tea
Tea is one of the most-studied drinks when it comes to its benefits for arthritis patients. Green, black and white teas are all rich in polyphenols compounds from plants that have strong anti-inflammatory effects.
Coffee
Research shows coffee also has antioxidant polyphenols. That means coffee can help fight free radicals in the body, which cause cell damage. Other research suggests coffee may have a protective effect against gout as well.
Milk
Juices
Smoothies
Alcohol
Water
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Best Grains For Arthritis
Making smarter choices in the bread and pasta aisles might reduce inflammation.
Choosing which type of pasta to cook for dinner or what bread or cereal to have with breakfast doesnt seem like a big decision, until you consider the effect certain grains can have on your body. Eating the wrong types can aggravate inflammation, potentially making your joints hurt more than they already do.
Pro-Inflammatory Grains
When contemplating your options in the bread, cereal and pasta aisles, youll want to avoid refined grains. Not only are these highly processed grains limited in nutrition, but they can also worsen inflammation throughout the body.
Grains are made up of three parts: The bran is the outer skin of the grain kernel, the germ is the innermost part that grows into a new plant, and the endosperm is the center part that provides food for the plant. Whole grains contain all three parts. Refined grains have removed the bran and germ, where most of the vitamins, minerals and protein are centered.
Examples of food made with refined grains are white bread, white rice, cookies and cakes. Because of their simple structure, these carbs break down in the body rapidly. The body turns them into sugar more quickly and sugar is highly inflammatory, says Barbara Olendzki, nutrition program director of the Center for Applied Nutrition at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.
Should You Avoid All Grains?
Better Grain Choices
Related Resources:
Ease The Ache And Reduce Inflammation By Adding These Standouts To Your Diet
by Barbara Brody, AARP, July 20, 2021
En español | If your hips, knees or hands have gotten stiffer and more painful in recent years, you might be among the more than 32 million Americans who suffer from osteoarthritis . This degenerative joint condition, often described as the wear and tear form of arthritis, causes the cartilage that normally cushions joints to break down, allowing bone to rub against bone. The result: pain, redness, stiffness and inflammation.
This kind of arthritis is mainly treated by pain-relieving medications, but lifestyle changes can also help a lot. Exercise and weight loss tend to be top of the list. Regularly moving the impacted joint helps stretch and strengthen the muscles surrounding it, which can ease stiffness and promote mobility. If you’re overweight, shedding a few pounds will help take some strain off a weight-bearing joint , as well as reduce the amount of inflammatory proteins that are naturally produced by fat cells.
Whether you follow a specific diet plan or not, regularly adding the following foods to your plate might help soothe your achy joints and perhaps even slow down the progression of arthritis.
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Side Effects Of Eating Too Much Spinach
Here is a list of 9 surprising side effects of eating spinach!
Spinach has been believed to be a very healthy vegetable. Who can imagine this leafy green that offers a plethora of good nutrients can even harm our health. Read on to know about the potential side effects of eating spinach.
Poor absorption of minerals. Eating too much spinach can interfere with the ability of the body to absorb minerals. Oxalic acid present in spinach binds with zinc, magnesium, and calcium as a result of which our body does not absorb enough of these nutrients, which may lead to mineral deficiency.
Stomach problems. Eating too much spinach may lead to an excessive build-up of gas, bloating, and cramps as our body need some time to digest the excessive load of spinach and cannot metabolize it all at once. Spinach is high in fiber and takes time to get digested, which may further lead to diarrhea, abdominal pain, and even fever.
Anemia. Spinach is a good source of iron but sometimes because of the high fiber content and its excessive consumption, our body is not able to absorb the plant based iron we have ingested.
Kidney stones. It contains a high amount of purines, which converts to uric acid if consumed in high amount. High uric acid increases precipitation of calcium in the kidneys, which forms kidney stones. Spinach is also high in oxalic acid, which may form calcium oxalate stones in the kidney.