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Drinks to Sip or Skip with Psoriatic Arthritis: Coffee, Alcohol, and More
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) typically affects large joints throughout the body, causing symptoms of pain and inflammation. Early diagnosis and treatment of the condition are key to managing its symptoms and preventing future joint damage.
If you have PsA, you may be looking for to help reduce the pain and swelling associated with your condition. In addition to the treatment prescribed by your doctor, you may want to consider certain lifestyle modifications to help ease your symptoms.
There’s no specific diet for PsA, but being mindful of what you put in your body can help you learn triggers and avoid a flare-up.
The following are safe drinks for people with PsA, as well as the ones to limit or avoid.
Drinks safe to sip
Tea
Most teas are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that help your body fight off oxidative stress that can trigger inflammation. Adding tea to your diet may help to reduce some stress on your joints caused by the chronic inflammation of PsA.
Water
Water helps keep your system hydrated, which optimizes the body’s detoxification methods and may, in turn, relieve some inflammation. When you’re well hydrated, your joints have better lubrication.
Drinking water before a meal may also help promote weight loss. If you drink a glass of water before you eat, you may fill up faster and eat less. Maintaining a healthy weight is important if you have PsA because it will put less stress on your joints, especially in your legs.
Coffee
Like tea, coffee contains antioxidants. Yet there’s no evidence that coffee also offers an anti-inflammatory effect for people with PsA.
Additionally, research shows that coffee may have either pro- or anti- inflammatory effects, depending on the individual. To know whether coffee will hurt or help your PsA, consider removing it from your diet for a few weeks. Then, start drinking it again and see if there are any changes to your symptoms.
Drinks to skip or limit
Alcohol
Alcohol can have several negative effects on your health, including weight gain and increased risk of developing liver disease and other conditions.
While there isn’t much research on the effects of alcohol on PsA, one large 2015 study of women in the United States found that excessive alcohol consumption increased the risk of the condition.
Alcohol consumption can also reduce the effectiveness of psoriasis (PsO) treatment. It may also negatively interact with medications used to treat PsA, such as methotrexate.
If you have PsA, it’s probably best to avoid alcohol or significantly reduce the amount you drink.
Dairy
Dairy may make your PsA worse. Some research suggests that removing some foods, including dairy, may improve PsA symptoms in certain individuals. However, more research is still needed.
Sugary drinks
People with PsA should avoid drinks that are high in sugar. This means soft drinks, juices, energy drinks, mixed coffee drinks, and other beverages that contain added sugars.
High sugar intake can contribute to increased inflammation and weight gain, which can exacerbate PsA symptoms. To avoid putting extra strain on your joints, it’s best to avoid drinks that contain a lot of sugar or added sugar.
The takeaway
The best way to manage PsA symptoms and prevent complications is with medication prescribed by your doctor. You may also want to consider making changes to your diet, for instance, the beverages you drink.
The best drinks for PsA include green tea, coffee, and plain water.