Anyone on an anti-inflamatory diet??

[Buttons2]

Hi all, I sure hope someone will know what I'm referring to! I know someone with RA that has had remarkable success on a special diet. The problem is that I cannot recall what she said the diet no-no's are! I believe it was anything in the nightshade family....not even sure what veggies are included in that.

Anyone have any knowledge of diet to help with arthritis?

Thanks,Buttons

[SnooZQ2]

Hi Buttons,

I am one of several participants on this board who has found a good deal of improvement with dietary measures. For me, it's a matter of avoiding nightshades, foods as well as second-hand smoke, and also my particular offenders, dairy, egg white, nonGMO corn & soy, and peanut, and excess omega-6 type veg oil.

There have been a number of general books published on anti-inflam diets, many of them for people with cardiovascular problems. I personally haven't found that approach as helpful for my arthritis as my individualized approach.

There have been a few research studies published on diet & RA. A reference librarian could help you find them. It appears that diet responders are a sub-group of RA sufferers -- that is, not everyone benefits. But for those who do benefit, the improvement can mean taking fewer meds, or cutting out meds entirely.

Do not expect your MD to be on top of the research, and do not expect him or her to support any dietary modification you undertake. Dietary approaches to disease fall into the category of "unprofitable cure," -- and that counts as 2 strikes against their acceptance by conventional medicine.

IME, nightshades are very common offender in arthritis. Norman Childers is the guru of the nightshade-free diet,and he has written several books on that subject.

For finding individual offenders, some people do allergy testing, both IgE and IgG. Others simply keep a diet log of consumption and symptoms, try to find a likely culprit, remove it for a few months while tracking symptoms, then reintroduce & see if symptoms flare. Other common offenders in addition to the ones I avoid are citrus, gluten, chocolate, beef and pork.

Best wishes.

[sussieque]

Hi,

I try to keep on an anti-inflammatory diet as much as possible. I have found that it really does help me. Here are some suggestions.

Anti-inflammatory foods include the following:
omega 3 fatty acid rich foods such as fish (salmon, sardines, tuna, bluefish) flaxseed, walnuts or take fish oil supplements. No trans fats use olive oil or canola oil. Eat avocado, nuts and natural nut butters these are healthy fats.

Lean proteins: fish and seafood, poultry, nuts, legumes and seeds. Fatty red meats may trigger inflammation, so if you do eat red meat limit portions and try to find grass-fed beef or bison. (good luck on that one) Soybeans, tofu and soymilk are great sources of plant protein.

Bright colored fruits and vegetables, whole grain cereals and breads, flaxseeds, green tea, garlic, ginger, parsley, turmeric, cilantro and mint are all phytonutrient foods. They help keep the immune system strong and control inflammation.

Avoid caffeine, chocolate and foods high in sugar. Try to drink lots of water. You should try to drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day. Then make sure you know where the bathrooms are. lol

Some people avoid night-shade veggies such as potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, this is a trail and error thing, they bother some but not others.

Hope this helps you some, but keep in mind that everyone is different, what works for me may not for you. You may need to do some research on your own.

It's like SnooZQ2 said most docs don't know much about alternatives or don't wish to share what they do know. SnooZQ2 had lots of good advise for you.

Good Luck, try it and see how it works for you.

[Buttons2]

Hi SnooZQ2 & sussieque, sounds weird to put those 2 names together eh?:D

I'll check into Norman Childer's books.

Seems I'm consuming some of the good stuff already, flaxseed,olive oil, I eat omega 3 eggs, and limit the beef & pork. I live near several buffalo farms so could get bison meat if had the desire & $$$$ for it.

Kinda surprised neither of you mentioned celery, I heard many years ago it was not good for people with arthritis.

I agree it will be trial & error, also agree it's not profitable for docs to discuss nutrition-plus they are ignorant about it anyway so don't want to make fools of themselves:rolleyes:

Weather plays a big factor with me,and I live where it rains more than the sun shines but at least it's not sub-zero so can't complain about that. figure everyone gets a few aches & pains when it's foggy,etc.

Hope both of you are having success with whatever you do to help,appreciate that you took the time to reply.

I read Dr. Gott in our local paper, people have tried Certo with success, also Castor oil, I've used the castor oil on my knees & thought it helped but then I was also taking Tylenol Extra @ same time so can't really make a huge endorsement of castor oil.

Take care,Buttons

[Ted Hutchinson]

May I suggest you spend some time listening to this talk
Loren Cordain: Potential Therapeutic Characteristics of Pre-agricultural Diets in the Prevention and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (http://wildhorse.insinc.com/directms03oct2007)

Although it is directed at an MS audience much the same applies to Arthritis.
In the case of RA the MMP's destroy bone/cartilage in MS they go for the mylene but it's the same destructive vandals at work. You may find the Direct MS supplement recommendations helpful. (http://www.direct-ms.org/supplements.html) also their Nutritional information. (http://www.direct-ms.org/recommendations.html) Pay particular attention to the Vitamin D, omega 3 and Magnesium levels. If you are unable to go out into the sunshine regularly you may find 4000iu isn't sufficient. I take 5000iu/daily and get as much sun exposure as possible. You need to get 25(OH)D around 60ng 150nmol/l to be sure you have sufficient for your daily needs (that 3000-5000iu) and still have a bit to spare to deal with the inflammation.

Control of autoimmune diseases by the vitamin D endocrine system. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18594491)