Alcohol and certain vegetable oils

Anyone with inflammatory arthritis should limit or avoid alcohol since it can make arthritis symptoms worse. Alcohol use was linked to greater spinal structural damage in a study of 278 persons with axial spondyloarthritis, inflammatory arthritis that predominantly affects the spinal cord and sacroiliac (SI) joints. Alcohol use may also worsen and increase the frequency of gout attacks, according to studies. Moreover, although not all studies have established a strong connection, prolonged alcohol use is linked to a higher risk of osteoarthritis.

Diets low in omega-3 fats and high in omega-6 fats may make osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms worse. The body needs these fats for good health. However, the unbalanced omega-6 to the omega-3 ratio found in the majority of Western diets may worsen inflammation. Increasing your diet of omega-3-rich meals like fatty fish while decreasing your intake of foods heavy in omega-6 fats, such as vegetable oils, may help reduce the symptoms of arthritis.