Two everyday fruits named as common pain triggers for millions of arthritis sufferers
Millions of people living with the pain of arthritis in the UK have been warned of two common fruits which can worsen life with the condition.
The condition can cause pain, swelling and inflammation, as well as mobility issues for sufferers. Although there is no cure yet for arthritis there are ways to manage the symptoms. Like many health conditions, diet can play a part in easing or worsening the condition and health body the Physicians Committee has warned against certain foods, which can act as “pain triggers”. Among those listed as “common pain triggers” are common apples and tomatoes.
Express.co.uk reported the report saying: “While genetic factors are important, studies show that lifestyle factors, including diet, play a role. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, a diet change could help you, and perhaps even eliminate your pain entirely. In research studies, many people who cut out certain trigger foods find that their pain improves or goes away. When those foods are gone, so is the inflammation. A survey of more than 1,000 arthritis patients revealed that red meat, sugar, fat, salt, caffeine, and nightshade plants most commonly worsen the condition.”
Both apples and tomatoes contain solanine, a glycoalkaloid poison mainly found in species of the nightshade family. One study, published in the Arab Journal of Nuclear Sciences and Applications in 2013, considered the link between solanine and arthritis.
It reads: “Solanine is a toxic compound produced in nightshades family such as potato, tomato and eggplant when exposed to light. The current study was carried out on 18 female postmenopausal albino rats to investigate the effect of solanine on the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The data of the present study showed that old age and postmenopausal suffering from arthritis and joint swelling must eliminate or avoid the nightshades plants to alleviate the joint pain and also decrease the destruction of the tissues.”
Meanwhile, last month researchers found medication controlling blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes can also help patients with certain autoimmune diseases . The drug, Canagliflozin, also targets T-cells – a type of white blood cell that usually helps us fight infections. These cells are known to mistakenly attack healthy tissues in patients with autoimmune diseases, so using Canagliflozin to inhibit them could aid the more than 400,000 people in the UK with rheumatoid arthritis and the 50,000 living with lupus.
