Alcohol and RA

It is important for me to declare after years with RA the number one enemy to RA in food is refined sugar.  Thereby alcohol by default is not exactly a product to consume should your RA is severe.  However that being said it is also important to say we are all human and enjoying good food with good wine is a pleasure of life. 

I have noted through my years different alcohols have different effects.  For example, drinking imported wine has a greater effect as I am proned to immediate inflammation and headaches due to added sulfites (as a preservative for freshness) and the sugar by-product in these wines.  But if I travel to Europe and consume local wines somehow I seem to handle these differently.  Not sure if it is the sulfites as sugar is the primal ingredient which has the effect.  The sweeter the wine such as a Proseco or a Riesling, the greater the effect.  On the other hand Rum, which is a sugar cane based liquor of which I would have assumed would have an enormous effect on me somehow did not.

The best way to enjoy alcohol socially or with food is to first identify which types of alcohol has the greater effect.  Once this is identified then there are better chances to enjoy drinking with moderation of course and dependent on one’s current condition.  I would also advise not to mix alcohols as this will have adverse effects on RA not to mention a severe hangover.