Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Rheumatoid Arthritis?

JewlzJerome

Omega 3 should equal your Omega 6 intake 1:1 with RA.
I use unsweetened flax milk as a coffee creamer for ALA and supplement DHA and EPA. The body can convert ALA to DHA and EPA but the conversion rate is extremely low.

MikePfirrman

CarvedTones wrote: »

MikePfirrman wrote: »

CarvedTones wrote: »

MikePfirrman wrote: »

CarvedTones wrote: »

MikePfirrman wrote: »

https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/arthritis-diet/anti-inflammatory/rheumatoid-arthritis-diet.php

The diet that the Arthritis Foundation recommends is the Mediterranean Diet. That's backed by research.

Link to research, please. There isn't one in the article.

The hyplinks (highlighted words) in the article link to articles with citations.

I followed those. They link to definitions or articles about what they define. The closest thing is one article on fiber that says it may help and it points to a study where CRP was better in patients with a high fiber diet. That article used the words "may help" as the link was a little weak. I wish there was a magic diet for inflammation.

There is no magic bullet. You're right. But I was referring to specifically RA, which is one of the hardest to treat forms of Arthritis. Diet can help, not cure.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5682732/

That may be right, but that is one of the oddest scientific papers I have seen. It references a bunch of studies and for nearly every one of them says "significant change" but doesn't say how much. Is significant 30%? 10%? 2%? There is no indication. They reference several different diets that all seemed to do something to help and then make a recommendation that isn't specifically any single diet from the list. Very odd. My sister has RA and has been down this path and a lot of others.

That's because, I think, it's a review, not a study per se. There are SO many studies out there on inflammation that are little known.

For instance, Ocean Spray paid for a study on Cranberry Extract. There's a little known bacteria in our microbiome called Akkermansia Muciniphila. I think you'll hear more about it soon in the news. Many microbiome researchers think it does two things -- helps reduce inflammation and helps keep your stomach lining more mucosal/thick (protects your stomach integrity). You can't take a probiotic to increase it. But what you can do is eat more fiber and especially Polyphenols. Cranberries have a special type of polyphenols that seems to increase Akkermansia bacteria. You can find the study if you just Google it.

There are so many things that do help inflammation that are dietary. Omega 3s (I'm not a fan of taking Omega 6s), Tart Cherry Extract, Polyphenols, great quality Curcumin, Antioxidants, fiber, limiting sugar/simple carbs, limiting overly processed foods and I think limiting toxins/environmental impacts as well (we have so many chemicals in the US that we're exposed to that influence hormones, which in turn affect pain).

My wife had Fibro so bad 4 years ago she looked at me and told me she would rather die than go on in that much pain. I'm not a scientist but I went on a mission to help her. She's 95% better now and never took a prescription (and looks 10 years younger too!). Food matters a lot. So does what you avoid eating and exposure to.

There are certain conditions like RA that are especially difficult but nearly all chronic pain can be lessened with some of the same things my wife was willing to do -- cut out gluten, sugar, vegetable oils. Limit dairy and go to a WFPB (whole food plant based) diet.

gaelicstorm

I have a few AI disorders, plus diabetes, and am currently undergoing testing of my liver for AI Hep. Try not to be jealous of my life

Anyhow, I haven't ever found anything that truly helps. I've had my first AI disorder since the age of 11 (I'm now 36). Eating low-carb, which I do to manage diabetes, has helped with some of my joint pain. My body carries around less bloat and water which my joints seem to find favorable. Really though I've resigned myself to being on medication for my entire lifetime. I think controlling weight is actually far more important in the long run.

mbaker566

MikePfirrman wrote: »

There are certain conditions like RA that are especially difficult but nearly all chronic pain can be lessened with some of the same things my wife was willing to do -- cut out gluten, sugar, vegetable oils. Limit dairy and go to a WFPB (whole food plant based) diet.

yeah, none of the worked for me-myalgia and more
and don't you dare take my dairy from me. that was the worst when i tried to go without.

MikePfirrman

mbaker566 wrote: »

MikePfirrman wrote: »

There are certain conditions like RA that are especially difficult but nearly all chronic pain can be lessened with some of the same things my wife was willing to do -- cut out gluten, sugar, vegetable oils. Limit dairy and go to a WFPB (whole food plant based) diet.

yeah, none of the worked for me-myalgia and more
and don't you dare take my dairy from me. that was the worst when i tried to go without.

There was a very comprehensive review (review of all the various studies) that just came out last year. Basically, it said if you're not allergic to cow dairy, dairy might not cause inflammation, but it was much better to have fermented dairy (yogurt, kefir) and it seemed like whey was an inflammation reducer (again, only for those not allergic to cow dairy). My wife tested highly allergic to cow dairy. I would say that anyone that has chronic inflammation should know how they react to dairy. It was pretty clear to her, even before testing, that she was allergic to it. Overall, what they are finding is that animal products create a different class of bacteria in your microbiome, making you more prone to inflammation (generally, but as the review indicated, there are exceptions).

jgnatca

Not suffering from any AI disorders that I know of.

However, I’ve been on a restricted diet for the past five days (low fiber) to prepare for a medical test and it’s been a very long time since I’ve felt this miserable. I also discovered that nearly all the foods in my home other than the meats are loaded with fiber. I had to go buy myself some white bread, white rice and soda crackers.

I have had some inflammation flare ups in the past couple days and I can’t wonder if they are related.

I want my veggies! I want my oatmeal!

Pity party over. The test is in a few hours and I can go back to my rough breads my home made apple butter, my salads and my oatmeal.

Fuzzipeg

I've found adding digestive microbe supplements have helped me over come problems which started from having used antibiotics and medications in the distant past. When one's nutritional needs are compromised the body is less able to replace the dietary enzymes we should be making to break down our food groups properly, I've made good use supplementing with these too. I really benefited from knowing the things I react to, so having allergy and intolerance testing was a turning point for me.

There are so many things which can impact on our health, metal toxicity, amalgam fillings were, may still be the cause of many an issue. Furniture and fabrics can give off chemicals. Living close to busy roads being surrounded by vehicle emissions can compromise our health. The quality of our water and many more things which have become part of our modern lives can cause the individual health issues. Genetics do underpin reactions, epigenetics is sowing us circumstances around us cause switches to be changed, returning our individual systems to a non switched position is probably something in the offing but for most will not be available for most of us.

When one talks of hormones, there is often a grown. In addition to the chemicals mentioned above there are things taken fore granted the hormonal inputs from contraception even the introduction of copper to the female body increase the disruption of every day life causing many women to have Oestrogen Dominance, displacing progesterone and things. Many animals in our food chain are given growth promoting hormones which have effects on an individual, we are complicated enough beings that we have our own triggers and effects.

I believe its by making use of allergy/intolerance testing to discover our personal triggers should enable us to find our own personal dietary protocol to reduce the inflammation which causes our individual health issues be it Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS, Fibro, Hashi, asthma and the many, an increasing number, of autoimmune health problems.

One caveat: I was tested in the NHS for dairy reactions, the result was negative. Later I was tested privately and discovered I was positive for casein intolerance, its more common than lactose. Casein comes in 4 types, 1 is bovine - most cattle, t2 is goat/sheep, closest to human milk, by testing some cattle are also type 2. 3 and 4 tend to be present in all milk and do not seem to cause a problem. Previously I'd experimented with goat dairy and felt easier, only because there were other things going on I was not improved to the extent I am now.

From experience I know if diary/casein is an issue avoidance of 48 hours will see a positive change. Where gluten is involved it can take weeks to even months to achieve any benefits, then even the smallest slip can send one back to square one for reactions, depending on how badly one is compromised. It is very much, finding your own protocol, true there are many things which are common to many but do not apply to all. Then with every elimination one puts oneself at risk of being deficient in some vitamin and/or mineral, complex.

At the time of writing there is no test for Salicylate Intolerance, plants use this as a defence against moulds and mildews, we can eliminate it to some extent but when we are less able to make the required enzyme even dietary levels build up creating difficulties. Moulds in our homes can also cause health issues.

We all know of Hay Fever, and it is put down to Histamine Intolerance. Histamine Intolerance can be much broader than pollen, it can effect the foods we eat. There are some in the Histamine Intolerance spectrum who are unable to eat shop bought meats and the like because they have been kept too long, needing to find their foods from the freshest places possible. The combination of vit b6 with vit c can help the body make its own DAO histaminase.

There is research which shows Omega 3 will help take down inflammation. I have read, the omega 3 in Flax oil/seeds may be more flexable than fish oil in forming the subset of "chemicals" the body turns the O3 into. When at my worst, I was advised to use good levels of O3 by a professer in Immunology because of its antinflamitory properties.

It was after a tv programme I tried vit b 12 with its required enzyme, doing so made such a difference to me. Being tested for b12 deficiency could be helpful, it is possible to have good haemoglobin levels but have underlying b12 deficiency.

This Autoimmunity thing is so big its impossible to address all aspects in an online post. I hope anyone with an autoimmune condition, or even any health problem which seems to defy understanding will read into the effects and causes of inflammation. Never give up. Do what is right for you. Best wishes to all.

NettyBoo45

kellymcguffie wrote: »

I’ve recently been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is an auto-immune condition that affects your joints due to inflammation. Some days I can’t walk or hold a cup of tea because the joints in my hands and feet are so swollen. I am currently on medication to try and control the disease but these all come with their own issues and nasty side effects and I would like to minimise them if at all possible.

There are lots of conflicting views on what foods should or should not be avoided to minimise inflammation i.e avoid white potatoes, night shade vegetables, gluten, dairy, soya, corn and mostly foods that I have eaten my whole life. Some people claim that they have come off their medication by radically changing their diets but it sounds so difficult to eliminate such a large group of foods.

Does anyone else suffer from RA that has found a diet that works for them? And if so, can you offer advice? Any references too would be useful.

Thanks

What has helped me (Lupus) is avoiding those foods that are known to trigger inflammation. Nightshades were a trigger for me: tomatoes, eggplant, bell pepper, sage, and tobacco are the biggest culprits. Potatoes (not sweet potatoes) fall into that category as well. In the process of elimination sugar and caffeine (the beast)

Hope you find what works for you.

Fuzzipeg

I would like to refer readers of this thread to the publication, WHAT DOCTORS DON'T TELL YOU, September issue.
WDDTY.COM. page 28 starts a special report. Poisoned in slow motion. Has some interesting scientific information on why Autoimmunity is growing.
Sorry something has come up, my time on here is up, for now.