Can Diet Help Arthritis?

UCLA School of Medicine

There’s certainly a lot of hype on this topic.  Some of it is downright nonsense.  But there are good facts among the fiction.

Arthritis sufferers are sometimes willing to do just about anything to take a bite out of their pain, even if it means chasing the latest diet fad.  “People who suffer with a chronic condition that causes pain and discomfort may be more vulnerable to nutrition myths and quackery,”  says Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition.

Arthritis Nutrition Hype

Sorting out fact from fiction in the food-arthritis relationship is a challenge.  Many cure-all “arthritis diets” and supplements are clear-cut frauds, and may result in harmful side effects.  Suspicious regimens include those with large doses of alfalfa, copper salts, or zinc, and diets like the immune power diet or the low-calorie/low-fat/low-protein diet.  The Arthritis Foundation cautions people to watch out for diets that throw out an entire food group, stress only a few foods, produce harmful side effects, or are justified by personal testimonies rather than scientific evidence.

      What about supplements?  Should you pop shark cartilage or wild yam for arthritis relief?  “Many supplements may be marketed to arthritis sufferers because they’re an easy target,” says Bowerman.  “If you’re unsure about a supplement, discuss it with your physician, your pharmacist, or a registered dietitian.”

Best Odds Eating for Arthritis

The good news is that amidst all the hype, there is valid scientific research showing that certain forms of nutrition can play a beneficial role in alleviating the pain of arthritis.  For example, scientists say that diet can alleviate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), combat the side-effects of therapy, and reduce the risk of complications.  Several studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet may have protective effects on the development of severity of RA.

      Some foods may help by reducing inflammation in the body.  Altering the balance of polyunsaturated fatty acids away from those found in corn oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil, and toward those found in fish and fish oil, provides the best documented examples of effective dietary intervention against inflammation.  In a recent study of 43 patients, it was discovered that those who took fish-oil omega-3 fatty acids showed improvement in several areas of RA, including joint pain intensity, handgrip strength, and duration of morning stiffness.  By limiting the intake of meat and poultry, increasing the intake of cold-water fish (sardines, mackerel, trout, and salmon), and substituting olive, canola, and flaxseed oils for corn, safflower, and sunflower oils, you can put these principals into practice.

      There is also evidence of the protective effects of higher consumptions of fruits, vegetables, and betacryptoxanthin (found in yellow-orange fruits and vegetables) in RA.  Lower concentrations of antioxidants in the bloodstream were associated with an increased risk of RA in three studies.  “We know that the health benefits of phytonutrients in foods go beyond antioxidation, and that many do help fight inflammation,” says Bowerman.  “A wide-ranging intake of colorful fruits and vegetables will provide many of these protective substances.”

      For osteoarthritis, the most important dietary consideration probably has more to do with calories than ingredients:  Being over-weight or obese is a major risk factor in developing osteoarthritis.  In fact, recent studies by Stephen Messier, PhD, of Wake Forest University, showed that weight loss, combined with exercise, had a great effect on the level of pain in knee osteoarthritis.  “The pain went down 30 percent,” said Dr. Messier.  “Weight loss decreases the load on the knee joint and inflammatory biomarkers.”

      More studies are needed to understand the relationships between arthritis and diet.  Meanwhile, Susan Bowerman suggests sticking with a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat proteins, and whole grains.  If you’re overweight, losing the excess pounds through calorie reduction and exercise is likely to have a dramatic effect on pain.

Comments

[brenda18]

You do not need strict diet before you get relief from pain from arthritis. Type of power I'm talking about is so simple that you can think of strong enough to treat arthritis. What you need to do is make sure that the food contains lots of vitamins and minerals. These have been known to help arthritis patients get relief by reducing the swelling of tissues.

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