The Arthritis Sufferer’s
Diet
By Priya Shah
Arthritis affects more than 40
million Americans and is referred to as the most common chronic
disease in people over 40. Doctors believe there are over 100
different forms of arthritis, all sharing one main characteristic:
they all cause joint inflammation.
What can you do to relieve the
symptoms of arthritis? A lot. There is a great deal of debate
in the medical world about the effects of overall diet on arthritis
and using diet toward alleviating the condition.
What you eat makes a difference
Doctors have known for a long time that diet affects gout, a specific
type of arthritic condition; however, the jury remained out for
a long time on other common types of arthritis such as rheumatoid
and osteoarthritis. What is known, however, is that overall dietary
health is important and does come into play. Weight and nutrition
are two factors that play a role in arthritic pain.
Being overweight can affect certain
arthritic conditions, forcing some joints to carry more of a load.
This added weight stresses the joints, causing overuse or more
wear to components and pain, especially in the knees.
If you suffer from arthritis, make
sure you eat good foods and get help from health care providers
to create and follow a well-balanced dietary plan.
Build a nutrition plan
To begin with, here are some vitamins, minerals, foods, supplements
and herbal applications to consider.
Vitamins that have shown to reduce
tissue swelling or provide relief include Vitamins B5, B6, B12,
the antioxidant vitamins C and E and vitamin K, which improves
bone health.
Several independent studies have
found that rheumatoid arthritis patients given increased doses
of zinc showed marginal improvement. Other minerals to consider
include boron, calcium, magnesium, manganese (not to be taken
with calcium), copper, germanium and sulfur.
The National Institutes of Health
is studying the food supplements glucosamine and chondroitin for
use in relieving symptoms of pain and stiffness for some persons
with osteoarthritis. Patients with osteoarthritis taking blood-thinners
should be careful taking chondroitin, because it can increase
the blood thinning and cause excessive bleeding.
Fish oil supplements have been
shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. Increasing dietary
fish intake or fish oil capsules (omega-3 capsules) can relieve
inflammatory conditions like arthritis. For more information,
see http://www.omega3fats.com.
Glutathione is an antioxidant with
anti-inflammatory properties and can be safely boosted by consuming
its precursors available in the supplements N-Acetyl-Cysteine
(NAC) or undenatured whey protein. For more information, see http://www.1whey2health.com.
Quercetin is also known to help
reduce inflammation, while type II collagen plays a role in growth
and repair of joints, articular cartilage and connective tissue.
Because of the risk in overdosing,
one should be discouraged from taking doses of vitamins that are
higher than recommended without a physician's direction. Some
vitamins and minerals can actually worsen certain conditions,
and the concentration that can be attained through vitamins can
be dangerous. It is always better to increase vitamin or mineral
intake through your normal diet.
Foods to avoid
There are many factors to consider with regards to arthritic diets
and nutritional healing, and each factor may not apply to each
individual. For example, certain people are allergic to specific
foods and these allergies can indeed worsen arthritic conditions.
The best way to approach the situation is to examine each arthritic
condition and tailor one's approach based upon the specifics.
Ingesting foods that contain sodium
nitrate or tartrazine can inflame rheumatoid arthritis, while
ingesting foods containing a substance called hydrazine can contribute
to an arthritic condition connected to lupus.
Black walnuts can cause flare-ups
in people a rare type of arthritis called Behcet's Disease.
With osteoarthritis, deterioration
of cartilage is a concern. Since there is some evidence that vitamin
A contributes to cartilage deterioration, those with osteoarthritis
should avoid large doses of it.
Although clinical proof is not
available, anecdotal evidence suggests that in the case of fibromyalgia,
eliminating wheat, dairy, citrus, sugar, aspartame (Nutrasweet),
alcohol, caffeine and tobacco can provide relief.
Many nutritionists and naturopaths
suggest that those suffering with rheumatoid arthritis avoid dairy
products all together, as they seem to exacerbate rheumatoid arthritis
flare-ups.
The report "I
Cured My Arthritis You Can Too" suggests that white flour
aggravates arthritis symptoms.
The information here is not
provided by medical professionals and is not intended as a substitute
for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning
any course of treatment.
© Priya Shah
Priya Shah is editor of The
Glutathione Report, a newsletter featuring regular updates
on the health benefits of glutathione. For a comprehensive report
on arthritis, read the Arthritis Relief Report online at http:www.health-naturale.com/arthritis.
