In rheumatoid arthritis, the body's immune system attacks membranes and fluid that normally keep joints moving smoothly, creating inflammation, pain and swelling that can trigger destruction of bone and connective tissue. Symptoms may include stiffness, fatigue, weight loss, anemia and fever. Adult women are more likely to have RA, but the disease can also affect children or men. Other risk factors include bacterial infections, heredity and smoking. Dietary treatments and alternative therapies should be an adjunct to, and not a substitute for, regular medical care.
Nightshade Vegetables Elimination Diet
Solanine and atropine are food chemicals found in eggplant, tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers, tobacco and belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade. The alkaloids are toxic at high doses but are normally too low in dietary sources to cause health problems. They may be higher in unripe tomatoes and potatoes with sprouts or areas that turn green from sun exposure. Nutritionist Phyllis Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," says that some arthritis sufferers are highly sensitive to solanine, which may cause joint pain and inflammation.
Mediterranean Diet
The tradtional fare of Mediterranean coastal regions includes fruits and vegetables, olive oil, nuts, fish, beans and whole grains, with moderate consumption of red wine, poultry and dairy products. Increasing consumption of healthy fats is thought to reduce inflammation. A pilot study conducted by G. Mckellar and colleagues of Glascow Royal Infirmary in Scotland divided 130 women with RA from poor neighborhoods into two groups. One group received only written information and the other group attended cooking classes two hours a week for six weeks. A six month follow-up revealed that the educated group had changed to eating more fruits and vegetables, legumes, fish and olive oil and had less pain and early morning stiffness, as well as improved blood pressure and overall better health than controls. The study was published in the September 2007 issue of "Annals of Rheumatic Diseases."
Gluten-Free Vegan Diet
Balch advises those with rheumatoid arthritis to eliminate dairy products and red meat. A vegan diet avoids all foods that come from animals. Celiac disease, an abnormal immune response to gluten that damages the small intestine, may be linked to other autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. I. Hafstrom and colleagues at Huddinge University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, tested the clinical effects of a gluten-free vegan diet on 66 patients with active RA who were randomized into two groups. Approximately half the patients were instructed to follow a well-balanced, non-vegan diet and the others were given a gluten-free vegan diet for one year. The American College of Rheumatology criteria was used to assess severity of symptoms, and blood levels of antibodies associated with celiac disease and inflammatory responses were measured. By the end of the study, 40 percent of the vegan group improved significantly, compared to 4 percent of controls. Antibodies were decreased in gluten-free vegan dieters but not in the other group. The study was published in the October 2001 issue of "Rheumatology."
References
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis Balch, CNC; 2004
- Pubmed.gov: A Pilot Study of a Mediterranean-Type Diet Intervention in Female Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Living in Areas of Social Deprivation in Glasgow
- Pubmed.gov: A Vegan Diet Free of Gluten Improves the Signs and Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
