Dairy and Joint Pain
Joint pain can be caused by many things, including injuries, overuse, gout, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Joint pain may improve with a healthy diet and weight loss. Some believe dairy products make joint pain worse.
Other People Are Reading
-
Injured Joints
-
There is no relationship between dairy products and joint pain from an injury.
Gout
-
Gout is caused by uric acid by-products. Foods to avoid are those high in protein, saturated fats, high carbohydrate content and alcohol. You can use low-fat dairy products as part of a healthy diet.
-
Arthritis
-
April Chang-Miller, M.D., states that no foods have been proven to cause inflammation or joint pain.
Food Allergy
-
Chang-Miller said if a food seems to increase your pain, it is okay to eliminate it as long as it isn't a whole food group. You can get calcium from other sources, such as oyster shells calcium. Lactose intolerance does not cause joint pain, according to the Mayo Clinic. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications may increase allergic reactions to food.
Calcium Benefits
-
Calcium can come from nondairy sources. A study led by Svetlana Solovieva in Finland found that low calcium was linked to an increase in osteoarthritis.
Elimination Diet
-
If you suspect dairy products increase your joint pain, the elimination diet may help confirm it. Chart your pain for two weeks. Next, stop all dairy products, but get adequate calcium from other sources, for one month and chart pain to compare.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Chris Buecheler Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of hobvias sudoneighm
