I know that if eat alot of sugar ie christmas cookies, that it makes the symptoms of my flare that much worse but does not cause it itself.  One or two  is ok but anymore than that and I have problems walking and my toes look like they just might  burst right open.  Where as my toes will not swell that much at night and it is fairly tollerable.

Green peppers cause pain in my hands several hours later - it's usually gone by the next day. Green peppers are part of the same plant family as tomatoes & Potatoes & Eggplant...

Hi and Happy New Year.

I am a firm believer that food can be a friend or foe. Many people have food intollerances that they may not be aware of.  Foos allergies cause an autoimmune responce.  RA is an autoimmune illness.

I have had RA since 1991.  I found out that I have Celiac Sprue (severe Gluten Intollerance) in 1998.  I do notice flare ups after eating Gluten plus other foods that an allergy test has targeted. (each person is different).  You memtioned that your friend had a flare after eating pasta.  She may want to be tested for Gluten Intollerance.  It is as common as 1 in 133 people. She may also want to get a food allergy test and speak with a nutritionist.

It has been noted for years that Nightshade foods can increase flares.  This includes potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers.

I hope that this helps.

I wish you and your friend a healthy New Year.

Julie

Potato chips are a definite no no for me. I also had a flare once after eating some Carvel ice cream cake (though it may have been worth it).

In general, I try to stay away from any highly processed foods, and also foods that contain "bad" oils. Hope this helps.

Peppers of all kinds, some tomatos, eggplant, some potatoes, too much sugar and too much wheat or carbs.  If you eat Italian, try to order the dishes that have little or none of the above foods.  I am still ok with cheese and dairy but have cut back on the amt. I eat.  Good luck..  BTW, my rheum doctor doesn't believe any of this but too many people have the same symptoms from these foods.

I have had RA for 5 years and am still trying to figure it out.. I recently ate Chinese Food and the next morning I noticed that I was more stiff and achy then I ahd been the day before. Then the next day I had Progresso soup for lunch and by 3:00 in the afternoon I could not hold a pencil in my hands. I hurt so bad that I had to leave work early and I missed the next day. So, my deduction is maybe the msg or possibly the sodium. Since they both had msg and high sodium levels, I don't know which to blame it on.