Diet and Arthritis.

Last updated Thursday, July 06, 2006

Unproven diet claims

Health frauds or diets under study?

Some people claim that special diets, foods or supplements cause or cure arthritis.

These claims usually appear in magazine articles, books and on talk shows. Most claims for such diets have not been scientifically tested to prove that they work and are safe.

Some claims for special diets for arthritis are health frauds. There is no scientific basis for the claims. Other findings, like those described earlier in the section on research, are still under study. Still other claims have never been studied. All diets are considered unproven until repeated studies show they work and are safe.

When you hear about diet claims in the treatment of arthritis, ask the following questions:

• Does the diet eliminate any group of foods?
• Does it stress only a few foods or eliminate others?

If you can answer yes to either question, you are probably looking at an unproven diet.

Trying a change in diet

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