In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) the immune system wrongly attacks the lining of the joints. This results in pain, stiffness, swelling and destruction of the bones and joints. The exact reason why the immune system mistakenly attacks this tissue remains unknown. Conventional treatments include medication, while exercise forms a cornerstone of successful management. While no official "rheumatoid arthritis diet" exists, the foods you eat might play a role in preventing the processes that trigger the inflammatory response.
Connection Between Inflammation and Diet
Illness and injury typically trigger inflammation in the body. The foods you eat also influence these inflammatory processes because certain substances found in these foods can either quell the inflammatory response or exacerbate it. Limiting your intake of foods that promote inflammation and increasing your intake of foods that combat it can help you in your battle to fight the inflammation characteristic of RA. The biggest culprits include meat and other foods that contain saturated fats, trans fats, refined grains and sugar-rich foods.
Eating the Right Fats
Fats in particular have a link to inflammation. Saturated fats found in meat and full-fat dairy products can promote inflammation, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center or UMMC. Cutting back on these types of fats and including healthy fats that inhibit inflammation form an important aspect of an anti-inflammatory diet. The richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna. Walnuts, hempseed and flaxseed also contain these healthy fatty acids. Cook with canola or olive oil; oils like corn, safflower and sunflower contain fatty acids that your body uses to make hormones that trigger inflammation. Many packaged and processed snack foods contain these pro-inflammatory oils. Cut out trans fats---chemically altered vegetable oils found in fried foods, fast food, margarine, shortening and any packaged product naming hydrogenated oils as an ingredient.
Carbohydrate Considerations
Simple carbohydrates break down quickly in the body, leading to a large spike in glucose and insulin. This process can also trigger inflammation in the body. Examples of simple carbohydrates include white flour foods, cookies, candy and sugary drinks. Focus on fiber-rich grains; the fiber leads to a slower breakdown of carbohydrates. Good choices include whole grains such as whole wheat, oatmeal and brown rice.
You also want to watch your intake of starchy carbohydrates such as potatoes, corn, yams and sweet potatoes; these foods have health benefits but have a high amount of carbohydrates in them, which can lead to a large production of glucose.
Diet Experiments
"Arthritis Today," a magazine created by the Arthritis Foundation, notes preliminary research that food allergies might play a role in RA symptoms. When you have a food allergy or sensitivity, your body produces antibodies to fight off the normally harmless substance. This sets off a chain reaction that produces inflammation everywhere in the body, including the joints. Dr. Jonathan Brostoff, featured in the article, recommends experimenting with your diet to see if it makes any difference in your symptoms. He recommends eating just meat, fish, fruits and vegetables---he refers to this diet as a Stone Age Diet---for one month. He notes that a third of his RA patients that tried this diet had less morning stiffness. Studies have indicated this diet also improves range of motion and produces lower levels of inflammatory markers in the blood. To determine problematic foods, however, you must slowly add foods back in one group at a time and observe results. The UMMC advises you try this diet under the supervision of a doctor or registered dietitian.
Exercise
While exercise might land near the bottom of the list if you have a painful condition such as RA, you must perform some sort of exercise to improve flexibility, range of motion and overall joint health. Exercise also releases endorphins that improve mood and reduce pain naturally. The UMMC notes that research shows that more intense exercise might benefit RA; conventional medical wisdom always called for gentle exercise. Good choices include walking, swimming and water-based exercises such as water aerobics. During a flare-up you might have to refrain from regular exercise but should probably keep up with range-of-motion exercises.
The Mayo Clinic recommends applying heat to the joints you will exercise for about 20 minutes prior. Start off easy---do range-of-motion exercises for the first 5 to 10 minutes of your routine. If you still feel pain 2 hours after you finished your routine, you might have to reduce intensity until your body adapts.
