Diet and Arthritis.
Last updated Thursday, July 06, 2006
ResearchResearch into diet and arthritis There are some scientific reasons to think that diet affects arthritis.
Diet may serve as a risk factor by increasing your chances for
developing certain kinds of arthritis. Diet may also change the way the
body's defenses--the immune system react in certain kinds of arthritis
that involve inflammation. Inflammation is a part of the body's defense
system. It can cause the swelling, redness, warmth and tenderness that
come with some kinds of arthritis.
How diet affects the response of the immune system is a central question in several research studies. These studies are looking at the role of diet in worsening or lessening symptoms in certain types of arthritis.
Some very early studies in animals or in small numbers of
people with certain types of arthritis suggest, but do not prove, that
changes in diet may help. The results of these studies are
experimental. They need to be studied further in large numbers of
people. So, there is not enough scientific evidence to recommend to
people with arthritis any of the dietary changes described below,
except for weight control.
Weight and osteoarthritis
Being very overweight or obese increases your risk for developing osteoarthritis
in the knees. People who are very overweight tend to develop
osteoarthritis in the knees at an earlier age than people with ideal
weights for their heights. Weight is only one of several factors that
increase your chances for osteoarthritis in the knees.
Food allergies and/or reactions
Reactions to certain foods by the immune system may lead to
or worsen symptoms in certain kinds of arthritis. Researchers think it
is possible that a small number of otherwise healthy people develop
temporary symptoms of arthritis from an allergic reaction to food. In a
few people who already have arthritis, reactions to certain foods may
worsen symptoms. However, available observations suggest that for most
people who thought their arthritis symptoms were related to food, a
connection between food and the arthritis symptoms could not be
confirmed.
Fasting, low calorie or low fat diets
The immune system may work to lessen symptoms in response to
other factors in our diet. For example, several researchers have
observed that fasting and low calorie/low fat/low protein diets
slightly reduce some symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
in humans or lupus in animals. Scientists do not yet understand why
this happens or if certain changes in diet, such as short-term fasts,
help.
Fatty acids and/or fish oils
Another example of the possible effect of diet on arthritis
is the role of certain fatty acids in the chemical chain reaction that
causes inflammation. For instance, oils from some cold water fish and
plants block the body from making certain chemicals. These chemicals
cause painful inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. More studies are needed to see if these oils are an effective and safe way to block inflammation.
How is diet researched?
Researchers
test the role of diet in arthritis in certain ways. They accept that
there is a connection between diet and arthritis only after a number of
studies show the same results.
To test what effect a diet may have on arthritis, researchers will have
one group of people with arthritis try a test diet. The foods in this
diet are those thought to make arthritis better or worse. A second
group of people stays on a diet that does not contain the foods being
tested. Neither the researchers nor the people in the study are told
who is in which group.
Both groups are alike. There are an equal number of men and women. The
people are similar in their ages as well as in the kind of arthritis
they have. People in both groups continue to follow their diets for a
number of weeks. In addition, the people in both groups usually stay on
their regular medical treatment programs during the study.
Researchers measure the amount of improvement--such as the amount of
swelling in each joint--in each person by several different ways. Then,
they compare the total improvement between the two groups to see if the
test diet made a difference. Other researchers repeat the study at
least three or four times in other groups of people with arthritis to
see if they get the same results. Only then, do researchers accept the
treatment as effective.
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