How Does the Food We Eat Affect Our Arthritis?

Does the Food You Eat Affect Arthritis Symptoms?

We are bombarded with so much health information nowadays that sometimes it is hard to know what to believe. With arthritis you hear about food that help such as, fish oils, ginger and cayenne pepper and then we have the other side that people have reported being detrimental for their disease such as red meat,deadly night-shade vegetables, such as potatoes and tomatoes. However, I've concluded from recent research, there is no real answer between the relationship of food and arthritis. There is no scientific evidence that eating certain foods will cure or aggravate arthritis and even rheumatologists will not agree that there is a case to confirm a link.

Sometimes people will experience a remission of arthritic symptoms while they are trying out a new diet approach. However, experts say this probably is not a cure but only a coincidence. Apparently spontaneous remissions can occur for 30% of arthritis patients whether permanent or temporary happen, without any special foods or supplements. Another phenomenon that scientists caution us about is the "placebo effect" or "mind-over-matter "effect, where you belief that a certain food will cure you or relieve arthritis symptoms. Pain may reduce, but if the underlying disease has not been cured, it will eventually return, practitioners are convinced there is not a cure and the only relief is a continual trial and error of medication. In saying this holistic practitioners have a very different view and believe the link to food does contribute to the disease, not only the food but the contaminants in the food itself, such as pesticides and additives, So what can we do for ourselves when there is such conflict?

We have nothing to loose in eating the very best we can, even if it is not a cure, good food in high quality will contribute to our well being in other ways. By removing or eating less of processed and chemical laden toxins will increase the immune system and overall wellness. Maybe this is the increase in wellness or pain relief people experience when they are talking about a food link or special diet.

However, the allergy theory will continue to be investigated and in desperation people will continue to try all methods available for pain relief. In Arthritis Today an e-newsletter produced by the the Arthritis Foundation, recently reported that researchers in Norway found preliminary evidence that intestinal fluids of people with RA have above average levels of antibodies for certain foods-such as cow's milk, eggs, wheat and pork and antibodies involved in allergic reactions can cause inflammation throughout the body. Given that there is some evidence to support a connection between food allergies and arthritic inflammation and some people choose to try an elimination diet.

Let's say you suspect that milk is aggravating your symptoms, eliminate milk and other dairy products from your diet for three weeks and observe what happens. Then slowly reintroduce the dairy products into your diet, one at a time and note the reaction. To know for sure whether there is a direct relationship between the food and any changes in symptoms, you need to repeat this experiment a few times. Some people choose a full elimination diet, starting with a fast, if you are thinking about this type of plan, consult with a health professional first. Although your diet might not provide a cure, there are benefits to good nutrition plan, helping to keep stress levels down as well as a healthy weight not to put extra weight on your already swollen joints and tissue.

Remember, there are so many types of arthritis and people with arthritis are so unique, we have to look into what may or not work for us. By taking some responsibility for our care we may feel we have some control and contribution towards improving our wellness, we cannot rely on medical information we are given alone, everything in the medical field as in most areas of life is just trial and error, even in the well meaning medical field. Check out alternative health practitioners and gather all of the information you can and see what works for you. You are an individual person with a disease, that may although falls under a common name is a disease unique to you.

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