Suffering from painful arthritis? According to the Arthritis Foundation, 54 million adults have been diagnosed with arthritis, so you’re not alone. You can manage the underlying inflammation, not to cure arthritis but to lessen the symptoms with the help of the appropriate diet.

Overdoing certain ingredients that can make inflammation worse including:

• Safflower oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and vegetable
• Salt
• Sugar
• Trans fats
• Refined carbohydrates

Avoid These Foods to Manage Inflammation

1. Fried, Fast and Processed Foods

These foods contain trans fats that can trigger inflammation, as well as raising bad cholesterol while lowering good cholesterol.

2. Dairy and Red Meat

The saturated fats from red meat and dairy consumption can cause inflammation in fat tissue.

3. Omega-6 Oils

Omega-6 oils, as opposed to omega-3 fatty acids, can cause joint inflammation and weight gain when consumed in higher quantities. Avoid using safflower, corn, sunflower and vegetable oils.

4. Salt

To avoid inflammatory affects and high blood pressure, try to keep your salt intake to less than 1,500 milligrams a day.

5. Sugar

In general, sugar causes your body to increase in cytokines, chemicals that produce inflammatory affects. Try to stay away from foods that list with “ose” words in the ingredients, like fructose or sucrose.

6. Alcohol

People with rheumatoid arthritis should be especially wary of alcohol over-consumption because it can mix with any anti-inflammatory drugs they take. Nonsteroidal drugs, including ibuprofen and naproxen, can cause bleeding and ulcers in the stomach—mixing these RA meds with alcohol can increase the odds of this happening.

Foods That Can Be Counter Inflammation

Consume these foods to help minimize arthritis due to inflammation:

• Fish
• Broccoli
• Beans
• Citrus fruits
• Cherries
• Nuts
• Turmeric
• Whole Grains
• Ginger
• Green Tea
• Soybeans (i.e. tofu or edamame)
• Oils such as those made from avocado, olives, flaxseed, walnuts or cod liver