White flour-based products
White foods are bad news for arthritis. We’re talking white rice, potatoes, breads, and crackers—all of which contain refined carbohydrates. These foods also hike production of AGEs and cause inflammation, according to the Arthritis Foundation. The molecular structure of refined (a.k.a. white) grains is fairly simple: ‘The body turns them into sugar more quickly, and sugar is highly inflammatory,’ says Barbara Olendzki, nutrition program director of the Center for Applied Nutrition at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.
Choose whole or multi-grain carbohydrate options whenever possible. If you don’t want to give up all your favorites for good, learn how to cook white rice and potatoes in a way that increases resistant starch.
