Best Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet Book

[Jodee Bouman]

Ifyou have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you might wonder how your diet affects your condition and if there's anything you can eat to help your symptoms. There's no specific diet that treats RA, but some foods can help lower inflammation (irritation, pain, swelling) in your body. They can also help you manage your weight, which is important to avoid excess pressure on your joints. And because they're good for you, these foods can help you feel better overall.

Research shows that the Mediterranean diet can lower inflammation and improve symptoms of RA. In one study, women with RA who ate a Mediterranean-type diet for 6 weeks had less joint pain and morning stiffness as well as better overall health than a control group that didn't follow the diet.

One of the reasons the Mediterranean diet is good for RA is its high content of omega-3 fatty acids. These are a healthy type of fat found in fish, nuts, and seeds that research shows can help lower inflammation and reduce RA pain, swelling, and stiffness.

These healthy fats also boost your heart health by lowering triglycerides -- a type of fat that can increase your risk of heart problems when you eat too much of it. They also help reduce the buildup of plaque in your arteries. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, and calcium. Too much of it can block blood flow and cause heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. As RA increases your risk of heart disease, you want to take every opportunity to keep your heart healthy.

Beans are packed with fiber, which can help lower your levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a sign of inflammation. Beans also give you protein to keep the muscles around your joints strong. Red, kidney, and pinto beans are also good sources of nutrients such as folate, magnesium, iron, and potassium, all of which can give your heart and immune system a boost.

Broccoli and other green leafy veggies, such as spinach, Brussels sprouts, kale, and Swiss chard, are full of vitamins A and C, which protect you from free radical damage. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage your body's cells and cause and worsen RA. Broccoli is also a great source of calcium, which keeps your bones strong.

Chemicals called anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants that can fight free radicals and help lower inflammation. They also give cherries their bright color. You can also find them in other purple and red fruits, such as raspberries and blueberries.

Just as there are foods that can help your RA symptoms, there are also foods that can make them worse. Some of these foods can increase inflammation in your body, and many are high in fat, sugar, and salt, which can make it harder to manage your weight and keep your heart healthy.

These contain high levels of saturated fat, which can increase inflammation and have negative effects on heart health. Processed meats, such as deli meat, sometimes also contain preservatives that can cause inflammation.

Sugary foods, such as pastries, candies, and sweetened beverages, can make your body release inflammatory messengers called cytokines. The same is true for refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice, and white pasta, which your body quickly digests into simple sugars.

Gin-soaked raisins. Lots of people claim it works, but experts say there's no evidence. Grapes and raisins do contain anti-inflammatory compounds, but not in amounts that would be therapeutic. The gin might dull pain, but excessive drinking sabotages the health benefits of nutrients and vitamins and causes a whole new set of problems.

Although there is no magic potion at the supermarket, studies have shown that certain foods have anti-inflammatory properties and specific benefits for autoimmune, inflammatory forms of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), as well as gout, osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis. An anti-inflammatory diet may slow disease activity and reduce symptoms.

Rheumatoid arthritis has been the focus of most studies about nutrition and autoimmune, inflammatory forms of arthritis. Many have found a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytochemicals that supply the body with anti-inflammatory nutrients helps ease RA symptoms.

Studies also have shown that extra virgin olive oil is beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis. Investigators found that oleocanthal, a compound in olive oil, helped control chronic inflammation and inflammatory processes and helped reduce joint cartilage damage. Earlier studies found that, similar to ibuprofen, oleocanthal prevents the production of pro-inflammatory COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes.

To learn about the effects of specific foods on inflammatory arthritis, researchers surveyed RA patients about 20 different foods. Among them, blueberries, fish, strawberries and spinach were most often reported to help RA symptoms, while desserts and sugar-sweetened sodas were most often reported to worsen symptoms, according to a report published in 2017 in Arthritis Care and Research.

Green tea also may be beneficial to some people with inflammatory arthritis. According to a study published in 2016 in Arthritis & Rheumatology, an anti-inflammatory phytochemical in green tea known as EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) blocks the effects of RA.

Some studies also have found that a diet high in fiber helps reduce levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood, a marker of inflammation associated with RA and other inflammatory forms of arthritis. Good sources of dietary fiber include whole grains and legumes, including oatmeal, brown rice, beans and barley.

Having a balanced, nutritious diet is important for reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, which is critical for joint health. Every pound of extra weight adds four pounds of pressure on weight-bearing joints, including knees, hips and ankles. This not only can worsen joint damage and pain, but fat cells also contribute to inflammation in the body. Incorporating physical activity with diet to reduce weight has been shown to be most effective for weight loss and can ease OA symptoms, too.

Researchers have looked at numerous different foods and nutrients for their potential impact on OA progression and symptoms. Some studies have found that deficiencies of vitamins D and K are associated with more bone and cartilage damage and worse OA. Vitamin D, which comes from sun exposure, is hard to get from food. The few food sources include fatty fish, mushrooms and fortified foods, including milk and some orange juices and cereals. Leafy greens are good sources of vitamin K.

Dietary fats also appear to have an effect on OA progression. A study of the NIH Osteoarthritis Initiative, published in 2017 in Arthritis Care & Research, found that saturated fats, such as those in red meats, are associated with the progression of knee OA, while monounsaturated fats, like fish oil, and polyunsaturated fats, such as extra virgin olive oil, appear to have a protective effect against OA.

Fruits, in particular blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and pomegranates, which are rich in polyphenols like anthocyanins and quercetin, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help prevent and manage OA, according to a 2018 study in Food & Function.

Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables contain a compound called sulforaphane that research shows also may inhibit inflammation and slow OA progression. And some studies have found that consuming milk (but not cheese) or eating garlic, onions and leeks may be linked to less OA progression and symptoms.

Of all the forms of arthritis, gout might have the most obvious dietary link. When the body breaks down purine, a substance found in many foods, uric acid forms. People who have gout, an inflammatory form of arthritis, have trouble eliminating uric acid or they produce too much uric acid. The uric acid builds up and forms crystals that lodge in joints, causing severe pain in joints.

Avoiding foods that contain high levels of purines is a critical part of managing gout. These foods include meats (particularly red meats such as beef, pork and lamb and organ meats), most seafood (both fish and shellfish) and meat-based broths and gravies. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks and food with fructose also increase uric acid levels. There is a strong association between alcohol intake, especially beer, and an increased risk of gout attacks.

More recently, a study published in December 2020 Arthritis & Rheumatology linked the DASH diet with lower uric acid levels in the blood, particularly in people with excessively high levels. Researchers assigned more than 450 people to different diets for eight weeks: a typical American diet (the control group), a typical American diet but with more fruits and vegetables, or the DASH diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy and low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Compared with the typical American diet, the DASH diet significantly lowered uric acid, especially in those with elevated levels.

Another study, published in June 2021 in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests a DASH-style diet emphasizing plant-based protein lowers uric acid more than similar diets that emphasize either low carbohydrates or unsaturated fats.

The body of research into nutrition and osteoporosis suggests you can protect bone health and lower your risk of fractures by eating foods rich in calcium, including milk, yogurt and other dairy products as well as leafy greens, shellfish, some soy products, and seeds and nuts including almonds, chia and sunflower seeds. Also key to bone strength is vitamin D, which comes from sun exposure and from food sources including salmon, tuna, mackerel, egg yolks, some mushrooms and fortified foods such as milk.

RA is a systemic autoimmune condition that can affect organs such as the eyes, lungs, heart as well as synovial (movement) joints. The most affected are the small joints in the hands and feet but it can affect knees, hips and shoulder joints too. Several joints can be affected at the same time, usually symmetrically (on both sides of the body), such as both hands.

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