Q: I have arthritis, and I read somewhere that I should not eat green peppers, potatoes or tomatoes with this ailment. Then I read an article that said this is a myth. Which is correct? — Anonymous
A: It’s a myth for most arthritis forms. There are no convincing studies that eliminating the nightshade family of plants (potatoes, tomatoes and green peppers) improves rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis symptoms consistently. But such denizens of the night might affect gout. Some people with arthritis may have specific food allergies that might contribute to pain and stiffness, but the usual culprits are meat, milk and processed foods (add red wine as something to avoid if gout riddles your joints). You can determine if a certain food is bothering you by going on an elimination diet — passing on potential bad guys for a couple of weeks to see if there’s a change in how you feel.
Adding certain foods to your diet, on the other hand, may subtract some arthritis ache. For instance, a Mediterranean diet, bountiful in all kinds of fruits and veggies including nightshades, fish, nuts and olive oil, reduces most joint pain and stiffness. The thinking: The monounsaturated fats in fish, nuts and olive oil throw a figurative bucket of ice on the inflammation that causes the damage and pain of arthritis. In fact, a 2003 Swedish study of people with arthritis found that those who switched to the Mediterranean eating plan had less inflammation and regained some physical function as a result. (Being rigid about it may make you looser.) The diet doesn’t take the place of medications that can halt the progression of the disease, reduce pain and increase mobility. But it’s a delicious way to supplement your medicines and help yourself feel younger.
Q: Recently, one of my co-workers said that eating too much fruit can make you gain weight because of its high sugar content. Is this true? — Anonymous
A: Not unless you eat two or three large watermelons or a peck of apples on top of a regular day’s worth of food. You’d have to stay pretty darn determined about fruit eating to do any real damage to your waistline.
Look at the math: To gain a pound of weight from food, you need to consume 3,500 calories more than what your body uses. To gain a pound from fruit alone, you’d have to eat about 54 apples, 875 strawberries or 18 cantaloupes. And while it’s true that 100 extra calories a day can leave you 10 pounds heavier at the end of a year, chances are that most people’s weight gain comes from piling on foods that aren’t fruit. (That afternoon Snickers habit you picked up? That’s about 280 calories per bar.) Fruit is full of water, fiber, polyphenols, vitamins and minerals, and it puts a lot of bulk in your belly for not a lot of calories. That makes it a diet buddy, not diet saboteur.
Q: A friend told me I shouldn’t drink any liquids within 30 minutes of eating because the fluid interferes with digestion by diluting digestive juices. But I had always thought that you were supposed to drink small amounts of liquid to aid the breakdown of food. What can you tell me? — Judie
A: Water and food make a great pair for your dining and digestive processes. Think of the trip your food makes from your mouth to your stomach as a ride on a water slide. The water that splashes down the slide works as a lubricant so you have a fast, fun ride. If the slide were dry, you’d be stuck thanks to friction, and it would take longer to make a splash. You and food work in a similar way.
Another bonus? Frequent flushing with water fights bad breath by keeping smelly bacteria from stagnating near your oral cavity (where everyone can catch a whiff). Our final tip is this: Get smarter friends.
Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen are authors of “You: Having a Baby.” Submit questions at .
