To understand whether a diet for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is really effective, we need to grasp what causes the condition.
If you've read the previous page on the causes of
rheumatoid arthritis, you'll realise that not all factors contributing to the condition are completely
undestood, but most researchers agree that the disease develops as a consequence of an auto-immune
response triggered by environmental factors in a genetically predisposed person.
According to researchers environmental factors responsible for development of RA may present and act even before disease symptoms become apparent, or patients start to have joint problems.
Obviously, we cannot do much to change the genetic component, but we can do a lot to alter the environment we live in, especially our diet. But is this approach effective in improving the symptoms?
Medications are the preferred method of treatment by doctors and patients alike, but unfortunately they
have unwanted side effects or are often expensive. But if diet,
to a degree, is responsible for triggering the symptoms, does it not make sense to try changing our diet
first?
Several
studies have shown that several diets can bring about an improvement of
symptoms in RA patients and, in some cases, even remission, so you
might want to try one of these first, or in addition to the medications
recommended by your physician.
It seems that being overweight may increase inflammation aaffect the way the body responds to
treatment and reduces the likelihood of disease remission, as well as increasing the risk of disease
mortality.
There is increased evidence that people with RA suffer with an altered intestinal
flora giving rise to several gastrointestinal problems, such as bloating, postprandial fullness
(feeling full even after a small meal), nausea, early satiety (you are unable to eat a full meal), stomach
pain, burning and belching, mucosal ulceration, and altered bowel habits (constipation/diarrhea), to name a
few.
Many researchers put forward the "gut-joint axis" hypothesis, that is, they now believe that this
altered microbiota is at the origin of the condition, not just another symptom of the disease, or
consequence of medications.
With the increasing evidence of altered microbiota in the gut of RA
patients being responsible for pathogenesis as well as disease progression, it makes sense for
rheumatologists to advocate a supplemental diet therapy to RA patients, in other words, to adopt a diet for
rheumatoid arthritis aimed at reducing inflammation and promoting intestinal health.
Let's
look more closely at some of the suggested diets and nutrional interventions that have proven to provide
beneficial long-term effects for relieving symptoms, delay disease progression and associated damage in RA
patients.
Several studies have observed that a 7–10 day fasting had an immunosuppression effect, relieving symptoms
of RA compared to non-fasting groups.
A fasting of 7–10 days with partial nutrient intake of
vegetable broth, herbal teas, parsley, garlic, and decoction of potatoes; juice extracts from carrots,
beets, and celery; and a controlled daily energy intake followed by 1 year of a vegan diet as compared to
omnivorous diet was studied in different trials. Together these studies observed remarkable decrease in
swollen and tender joints, pain, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP).
The study reports clinically and statistically significant beneficial long-term effect on RA patients, which may be used as a treatment for the disease.
Therefore, fasting followed by vegan diet or vegan diet alone can potentially reduce symptoms and disease activity in RA patients independent of changes in intestinal microflora. Improvements observed can be attributed to reduced exposure to potential antigens contributed by the omnivorous diet of RA patients.
Diets high in oleic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, unrefined carbohydrates and phytochemicals, like the Mediterranean and Cretan diets, have been tested to see whether they would offer any benefits to RA patients.
And indeed they have! In one study, they administered a Cretan diet to RA patients, which included olive oil, cereals, fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, less red meat, and moderate amounts of red wine, and the result was that inflammation was reduced, vitality and physical functions were improved.
Particularly beneficial is olive oil, rich in oleic acid, with properties very similar to omega-3 fish oils, and has similar anti-inflammatory effects, also reducing factors that contribute to joint damage. Interstingly, studies have also shown that incorporating olive oil in the diet decreases the risk of developing RA.
Another diet for rheumatoid arthritis is the elemental diet providing food in simplest form consisting of glucose, vitamins, trace elements, and essential amino acids. It's hypoallergenic, contains all nutrients for daily requirements, and is thought to cause fewer immune reactions.
In one study, this diet was as effective as taking 15 mg/day of oral prednisolone, a drug usually prescribed for RA, and provided improvement in early morning stiffness and pain. But unfortunately, there was a relapse of symptoms after the diet was discontinued, which really proved that food antigens play a role in the chain of events leading to the disease and development of symptoms.
Other studies also proved the same thing, proving that the aggravation of symptoms of RA may be an effect
of certain food allergens that are absent in elemental diets.
An elimination diet for rheumatoid arhtitis has been suggested in order to identify
components in your diet that might act as triggers.
A damaged intestinal barrier could allow food components or micro-organisms to enter the blood stream, triggering inflammation, so any approach that encourages healing of the intestinal lining should be considered.
How can you find out what foods are aggravating your condition? This is where the elimination diet comes in. It's like conductiong an investigation to see which food or foods are responsible for your symptoms.
To have an idea on how to go about it please, have a look at this page Elimination Diet for IBS and Other Food Sensitivities. Although
originally written to help you identify triggers for symtoms of IBS, it can be very uselful to highlight
which foods have an effect on your RA symptoms.
Dietary fibre - Foods rich in dietary fibre, such as whole wheat and cereals in general, are recommended to maintain or re-establish good intestinal health. But, of course, you may need to determine wheher you tolerate these foods, or, indeed, they are the cause of your problems, hence the elimination diet mentioned earlier.
Fruits and vegetables - Diet rich in fruits have been found very beneficial in the reduction of RA symptoms, among other conditions. The phytochemicals present in all fruits can reduce oxidative strees and inflammation.
Compounds that have been found to be very effective in the reduction of bone and cartilage destruction and to relieve symptoms of RA are:
So really all antioxidant compounds found in abundance in fruits anf vegetables are excellent at reducing
inflammation and symptoms of RA, which should encourage you to include as many as you can in your diet for
rheumatoid arthritis.
Delivers a combination of glucosamine hydrochloride, horsetail extract, MSM, boron and niacin, alongside manganese, which contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue. |
Delivers 750mg vegetarian Glucosamine Hydrochloride per capsule. It is an important building block for cartilage tissue, a structural component within the skeleton that forms part of the connective tissues in joints between the bones such as the elbows, knees and ankles. |
Delivers a combination of glucosamine hydrochloride, horsetail extract, MSM, boron and niacin, alongside manganese, which contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue. |
Delivers 750mg vegetarian Glucosamine Hydrochloride per capsule. It is an important building block for cartilage tissue, a structural component within the skeleton that forms part of the connective tissues in joints between the bones such as the elbows, knees and ankles. |
Causes of Arthritis and Joint Pain
Causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis
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High potency 1000mg Evening Primrose Oil containing 80mg Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) per soft gel suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Nutrigold’s Aloe Vera whole leaf juice undergoes careful processing to ensure that the bioactive phytonutrients (including polysaccharides and polyphenols, vitamins and minerals) are maintained to the highest levels and in bioactive forms that can be utilised by the body.
This supplement has specific delivery system that increases absorption of total curcuminoids over standard curcumin by 46-times. This particular delivery format for the curcuminoids achieves a significantly higher level of absorption than traditional food use.
Alka-Greens is a convenient and easy to blend alkalising greens powder formulation that can be enjoyed by all the family. Every ingredient in Alka-Greens powder is organically certified by the Soil Association. The improved formulation of Alka-Greens contains organic spinach powder instead of pre-sprouted barley so is naturally gluten-free.
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