I've seen a lot of articles lately that talk about how important early detection, and treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is. No kidding, but what kind of treatments might they recommend? Steroids and biologics of course. Diet is never offered as a treatment and when mentioned the only guideline is to follow a "healthy diet." What does that even mean? For anyone with RA it means you'll need to stay away from the following foods.
1. Dairy. (Milk, Cheese, Butter) Dairy has been tied to other auto-immune diseases like Diabetes, as well as Heart Disease and even food allergies. Many people have a sensitivity to Dairy and those with auto-immune diseases such as RA seem to be more sensitive.
2. Grains. (Wheat, Barley, Oats, etc...) Celiac Disease is an auto-immune disease associated with RA. Celiac patients are advised to follow a gluten free diet, suggesting that the elimination of glutens would be beneficial to patients with RA as well.
3. Nightshades. (Potatoes, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Peppers and Tobacco) These foods have an inflammatory effect on arthritis. Dr. John Pagano does a good job explaining the effect of nightshades on arthritis and psoriasis in his book Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative. You may also want to check out this explanation on nightshades from The Worlds Healthiest Foods.
4. Meat. (Beef, Pork, Poultry, and yes, even fish). It seems there is more information every day on the ill effects that meat has on our bodies. Patient testimonials from places like The Gerson Institute and Hippocrates Health Institute show positive results from a vegan diet related to RA and other forms of arthritis and auto-immune diseases. There are also stories from people who have not visited these centers but have taken their treatment in their own hands and succeeded on such a diet.
According to a study by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden a gluten free vegan diet has a positive effect on RA and Cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is common in people with RA so this study is good news for anyone looking to improve their overall health, not just RA itself.
By avoiding the above foods, especially when first diagnosed, it will go a long way in helping you manage your RA. Check out an article by Dr. Scot Lewey titled Foods May Contribute to Rheumatoid Arthritis Through a Leaky Gut - The Gut-Joint Axis for more information on the relationship between leaky gut syndrome (caused by toxins, poor diet, medications, etc...) and RA. Also check out the set of case studies by Andrew W. Saul of doctoryourself.com which discusses the impact diet has on RA. Andrew was also featured in the film Food Matters which I highly recommend.
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