If you’ve already given up fried bacon and grilled steak to reduce saturated fat in your diet, there may be another good reason to continue to avoid these foods. Foods typically cooked at high temperatures, like meats, may contribute to the risk and exacerbation of chronic diseases linked with inflammation. Research at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York shows that frying or grilling certain foods at high temperatures produces compounds that can increase inflammation in the body.
The compounds, called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), are known to be scoundrels, showing up in the blood of people with chronic diseases associated with inflammation, including diabetes, heart disease, RA and OA. AGEs detected in blood were thought to come solely from our body’s natural supply of AGEs, but – here’s the bad news – now scientists have found that foods cooked at high temps create AGEs that can be absorbed by the body. Perhaps 10 percent of AGEs we get from eating seared burgers and fried chicken may be absorbed.
“We expect that increased levels of AGEs increase inflammation, although a direct link to arthritis is not firmly established,” says Jaime Uribarri, MD, the Mount Sinai physician who led the study. This news doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite breakfast meat or get rid of the barbecue forever. “Just diminish your exposure,” advises Dr. Uribarri.
To achieve a lower AGE diet, try the following:
- Limit the amount of grilled, broiled, fried and microwaved meats in your diet.
- Reduce the cooking temperature of meats and proteins. Steam fish and seafood, simmer chicken in a sauce and braise red meat in a cooking liquid.
- Cut down on processed foods. Many prepared foods have been exposed to a high cooking temperature to lengthen shelf life, so they may have high AGE contents.
- Get more fruits and veggies in your diet. Cooked or raw, they’re naturally low in AGEs, and many contain compounds such as antioxidants that can decrease some of the damage done by AGEs.
I have found that steak, shell fish,red wine and tomatoes cause more pain in my knees and hands.
I am better at forecasting a change in the weather than the weather man! I have severe joint pain a few days before severe weather or just heavy rain.
As far as cooking temperatures are concerned, I myself have never discovered a "safe" temperature. I think that this is like anything else- moderation. If you eat grilled/fried foods only occasionally, then you're probably just fine. But if your inflammatory markers are high (sed-rate, crp, rf, etc.) then it's probably not a bad idea to limit, or eliminate, your consumption of these foods.
On the other hand, RA is a progressive disease and in some rare cases can be fatal. But thanks to modern medicine, disease progression can be halted and symptoms manageable.
I have had symptoms for seven years now and have been on and off medication for the last three (thanks to two pregnancies, I had to avoid meds for awhile) and my joint damage is limited. My RA is not severe and is generally well-controlled, so it just depends.
This website has tons of good information about rheumatoid arthritis, its progression, and the different treatments available.
Good luck to you!
I am a new RA patient (I mean my diagnosis is new, not my symptoms). I am also interested to know, can this disease be progressive and/or fatal? Where am I headed?
Thanks
You must get used to it. For example you can cut frozen meat to extreme thin slices. Take a little bit herbs salt and have a nice taste. You never more like to eat grilled meat.
Dont eat as well grains, legumes nor dairy.
Berries okey, cucumber and so. You will find all your pains relieved. Eat only once a day and not too much.
A low AGE diet is important (look into carnosine too); when the damnage is done, changing eating patterns may help, but there is also an herb called gotu kola. Studies report that it helps to rebuild connective tissue in joints. It helped me with pain in my wrist and sholder after about a month of use. It has other benefits including neural protective qualities and can improve leaky veins and cappilary beds.
A high dose would be 4 grams 3 times per day boiled for 15 to 20 minutes (this is my dosage). The taste is like grass, so you may consider steeping with tea. It is traditionally considered a "longevity herb" in east asia.
I have found that a vegatarian diet is helpful AS LONG as you maintain a vitamin/dietary supplement regimen. It is important to get the calcium, protien and omega 3 that you would get in fish, meat and dairy.....Fish is really good to relieve inflammation and veggies are almost all good too. Some reasearch shows that a vegan diet may actually be bad because you loose so many needed nutrients that are in the foods that you can't eat as a vegan. I just think (for me, I am no doctor) that if you are going to avoid meat and dairy it is important to take your vitamins. When my onset came on (27 years old) I was not a healthy eater...My mom told me for YEARS to eat better and take my vitamins. I am now on a strict diet, no dairy, red meat or poultry, no tomatoes either (my favorite in the world) I found that this diet made my pain decrease by about 75% within a week. Also, if you are experiencing unrealistic pain....which you likely are if you are on this sight, I found that tart cherry consentrate was very helpful, 2 tablespoons a day in a juice drink-it is tasty and very helpful. I am sure you know about a lot of these diets and vitamins...I just know that these things helped me! I don't take pain meds anymore..unless it rains hard!
In India good number of population is Vegeterian(Not vegan) but they too have Aches, pains, arthritis, heart diseases, High blood pressure, Diabetes etc.As Wholistic prctioner of flower remedies(Energy medicines) I feel energy medicine & correct nutrition will do the job most of time without any adverse effects.
I had RA about 14 years ago, I knew about this type of food. since 6 mounth i read Seigneret book (Frensh doctor) who speack about all food damaging joints in RA .He explained that high temperature food, Wheat, dairy, cane sugar... are very bad for RA.
Excuse my bad english.
Leila
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