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Diet & Rheumatoid Arthritis

Preventing and treating rheumatoid arthritis through diet.

March 20, 2011 |
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Diet & Rheumatoid Arthritis, 4.8 out of 5 based on 4 ratings

Sources Cited

W. B. Grant. The role of meat in the expression of rheumatoid arthritis. British Journal of Nutrition, 84(05):589{595, 2000.

Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Sep;70(3 Suppl):594S-600S. Rheumatoid arthritis treated with vegetarian diets. Kjeldsen-Kragh J.

Br J Rheumatol. 1998 Mar;37(3):274-81. Uncooked, lactobacilli-rich, vegan food and rheumatoid arthritis. Nenonen MT, Helve TA, Rauma AL, Hänninen OO.

Lancet. 1991 Oct 12;338(8772):899-902. Controlled trial of fasting and one-year vegetarian diet in rheumatoid arthritis. Kjeldsen-Kragh J, Haugen M, Borchgrevink CF, Laerum E, Eek M, Mowinkel P, Hovi K, Førre O.

Br J Rheumatol. 1997 Jan;36(1):64-8. Faecal microbial flora and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis during a vegan diet. Peltonen R, Nenonen M, Helve T, Hänninen O, Toivanen P, Eerola E.

Br J Nutr. 1994 Oct;72(4):555-66. Changes in plasma phospholipid fatty acids and their relationship to disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with a vegetarian diet. Haugen MA, Kjeldsen-Kragh J, Bjerve KS, Høstmark AT, Førre O.

I. Hafstr, B. Ringertz, A. Spangberg, L. Von Zweigbergk, S. Brannemark, I. Nylander, J. R. nnelid, L. Laasonen, and L. Klareskog. A vegan diet free of gluten improves the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis: The effects on arthritis correlate with a reduction in antibodies to food antigens. Rheumatology, 40(10):1175, 2001.

J. McDougall, B. Bruce, G. Spiller, J. Westerdahl, and M. McDougall. Effects of a very low-fat, vegan diet in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis. J Altern Complement Med, 8(1):71-75, 2002.

J. J. Agren, E. Tvrzicka, M. T. Nenonen, T. Helve, and O. Hanninen. Divergent changes in serum sterols during a strict uncooked vegan diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Br. J. Nutr., 85(2):137-139, 2001.

H. M. ller, F. W. de Toledo, and K. L. Resch. Fasting followed by vegetarian diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review. Scandinavian journal of rheumatology, 30(1):1-10, 2001.

Toxicology. 2000 Nov 30;155(1-3):45-53. Antioxidants in vegan diet and rheumatic disorders. Hanninen, Kartinen K, Rauma AL, Nenonen M, Torronen R, Hakkinen AS, Adlercreutz H, Laakso J.

Scand J Rheumatol. 1995;24(2):85-93. Changes in laboratory variables in rheumatoid arthritis patients during a trial of fasting and one-year vegetarian diet. Kjeldsen-Kragh J, Mellbye OJ, Haugen M, Mollnes TE, Hammer HB, Sioud M, Forre O.

Clin Rheumatol. 1994 Sep;13(3):475-82. Vegetarian diet for patients with rheumatoid arthritis--status: two years after introduction of the diet. Kjeldsen-Kragh J, Haugen M, Borchgrevink CF, Forre O.

A. Kutlu, S. Ozturk, O. Taskapan, Y. Onem, M. Z. Kiralp, and L. Ozcakar. Meat-induced joint attacks, or meat attacks the joint: Rheumatism versus allergy. Nutr Clin Pract, 25(1):90-91, 2010.

M. Liden, G. Kristjansson, S. Valtysdottir, P. Venge, and R. Hallgren. Self-reported food intolerance and mucosal reactivity after rectal food protein challenge in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Scand. J. Rheumatol., 39(4):292-298, 2010.

Acknowledgements

Transcript

Rheumatoid arthritis can be a disfiguring condition… The treatment often involves some of our most toxic drugs—steroids, chemotherapy agents, thalidomide. We’ve known for 10 years that meat consumption may play a major role, based on this kind of data, where it appears the more meat populations eat, the higher their prevalence of the disease, and so eating vegetarian may reduce our chances of getting rheumatoid arthritis, but once you already have it, does it matter what you eat?
Vegetarian diets can be used to successfully treat rheumatoid arthritis: fact for fiction? Fact; nearly every study ever published on the matter has shown that vegetarian diets can indeed be used to successfully treat the disease. Some tested vegetarian diets with or without fasting, some tested vegan diets, some used raw vegan diets, some used gluten-free raw vegan diets. The one thing they all shared in common was that they were all vegetarian, and that they all worked.
The only really remaining question is why? Is rheumatoid arthritis an autoimmune meat-induced joint attack, or are the meat proteins themselves involved in attacking the joints. This is from earlier this year, a case report of woman eating eggs, dairy, and meat with joint inflammation so bad she was on chemo and steroids —until she stopped ingesting animal products, and her symptoms disappeared when she just ate plant proteins. She could turn her disease on and off like a light switch. It even says how she ate meat the night before her doctor’s appointment just to show the doctor that she really did have bad arthritis.
When susceptible people put all these foreign animal proteins in their body, one of two things may happen. When we nibble on the cartilage at the end of a chicken’s leg, our immune system may react to these foreign cartilage proteins by producing anticartilage antibodies that may get confused and start attacking our own cartilage. That’s what they mean by the meat-induced joint attack. The other possibility is that even if there is no cross-reactivity confusion, the immune complexes formed by the meat proteins and our antibodies may migrate into our joints and trigger inflammation that way.
It’s actually interesting how they’re doing some of these experiments. When scientists want to know if someone’s truly reacting to animal protein they can’t just give them bacon and eggs and ask how they’re feeling, because you have to have a placebo control to compare the food to, and people are going to know if they’re eating bacon and eggs or a sugar pill, so how do you get food into somebody in a way that bypasses the tastebuds? You stick it up their butt. “Reactivity after a rectal food challenge in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.” Again, don’t try this at home.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.

To help out on the site please email volunteer@nutritionfacts.org

Dr. Michael Greger

Doctor's Note

Please feel free to post any ask-the-doctor type questions here in the comments section and I’d be happy to try to answer them. For more information on the role that diet can play in arthritis, please see Dietary Osteoarthritis Treatment. Also, there are 1,449 other subjects covered in the rest of my videos--please feel free to explore them as well!

For more context, check out my associated blog posts: Preventing and Treating Kidney Failure With Diet, Watermelon for Erectile Dysfunction,How Does Meat Cause Inflammation?, Biblical Daniel Fast Tested, Biblical Daniel Fast Tested, and Plant-Based Diets for Rheumatoid Arthritis

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

    Please feel free to post any ask-the-doctor type questions here in the comments section and I’d be happy to try to answer them. For more information on the role that diet can play in arthritis, please see Dietary Osteoarthritis Treatment. Also, there are 1,449 other subjects covered in the rest of my videos–please feel free to explore them as well!

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/lucyna-jacobs/ Lucyna Jacobs

      Hello Dr. Greger,
      It surpasses my belief that I am finally discovering this astounding portal. Thank you for your amazing work! I watch your videos on plenty of different topics yet my search began here at “Arthritis”.

      A year ago my 15 year old daughter fell victim to juvenile arthritis. In a blink of an eye of every doctor we visited methotrexate drug was prescribed. Any of my attempts to discuss the healthy diet were either dismissed, denied, or treated with anger, at one point even mocked :( Hence it has been a very scarry and lonely journey in search of sources articulating my own belief in natural healing processes.

      I have read China Study, and many more books about alternative treatment for arthritis, yet the professional research seems thrifty comparing to other medical studies.
      The staple argument of rheumatologists for using the toxic drugs is to stop inflamation to prevent deterioration of cartilage and deformity of joints.

      Why there is no research about drugs vs diet among the arthretic children. Is it because they are the best silent golden goose in the history of the disease? Methotrexate facilitators pronounce to us a life sentence of pain and deformation and say that diet has no meaning in curing this ailment. What segment of society is more vulnerable to such a threat if not that of little girls and their frightened mothers?

      Within our extremally small community of immigrant friends, I know 3 teenage girls who suffer from arthritis. Is being an immigrant even better an oportunity to the health care providers to say that we have no other choice but DNA altering drug?

      I was full of hope when I first brought my daughter to the world leading rheumatology unit in children’s central hospital in the nearby metropolitan city. “She will never get out of it” said the doctor to my teenage daughter – an acro- and hip-hop competitive dancer.

      The book “Blindness” by Jose Saramago, a Literary Nobel Price winner comes to my mind.

      I am willing to do anything to contribute to a survey/research/anything to help the arthretic youngsters.

      Thank you again Dr. Greger.

      • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

        Thank you for sharing your story Lucyna. Methotrexate is indeed a pretty harsh drug, but as you know more than most, juvenile arthritis can be a pretty harsh disease. Though typically reserved as a second-line treatment reserved for those that don’t respond to less toxic drugs, methotrexate may be prescribed right up front if there is serious multiple joint involvement. In both these cases the benefits are expected to outweigh the risks. The nice thing about healthy dietary interventions is that there are no risks–just benefits–and perhaps particularly in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis patients who tend to suffer from inadequate nutrition. So it’s not either/or. Hopefully you can find a physician who respects your family enough to talk to about improving your daughter’s diet in addition to other medical interventions they have in mind. Two of the first things I would suggest is cutting out dairy (as there is a report in the medical literature of complete remission of the disease “after the elimination of all cow’s milk protein from her diet.”) and gluten-free trial, since (rarely) celiac disease can manifest with strictly joint symptoms.

        • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/lucyna-jacobs/ Lucyna Jacobs

          Thank you for your reply Dr. Greger.

          One of my best friends, now 50, used to have arthritis as a child. Her father happened to be a farmacist and she remembers vividly his refusal to treat her with any toxic drugs. Her memory stops there and she does not know how her parents treated her, but she lived arthritis free up until now. When I mentioned my daughter’s condition to her she gave me a book by Patric Holford “Say no to Arthritis- the proven drug-free guide to preventing and relieving arthritis”. I am wondering if you know of this author and his book.

          I cook dairy and gluten free since January as a result of my own studies regarding arthritis, and my daughter is experiencing similar trial to the one experienced by a girl from medical report you had sent to me (“report”). She is fine and asymptomatic (while on methotrexate) until coming back from vacations with relatives who do not cook dairy free and eat with no reservations excluding junkfood.

          As to inadequate nutrition, I have three children. My first two are 6′ tall and exceptionally healthy at normal weight. My daughter with JRA is 4’11 and weighs 86 lbs. I am comming from heritage of pure, healthy european eating and lousy food was never in my kitchen. Yet we ate dairy, poultry and breads. (As a matter of fact, in the past, I could not imagine life without milk or rye bread). I seem to be healthy but with the dairy-, gluten- and meat-free diet since JRA entered our home, ironically I feel and look better than ever before even though it should be the other way around considering the tremendous stress I am going through with regards to my daughter’s health. Disease was an abstract term for me until now.
          If arthritis is a result of malnutrition, could it be because of internal malabsorbtion?

          Here is a picture of Methotrexate that I can not find peace with.
          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkY7dWtPvus

          It alters our DNA. Without it my friend got healed from juvenile arthritis 40 years ago in Europe. With it my daughter seems worse just like most of other kids in North America.

          Your help means a lot to me Dr. Greger. If you know more as to methotrexate and alike vs. nutrition please let me know.
          Thank you again.

          • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/drdons/ DrDons

            To add to Dr. Greger’s comments you may benefit from information on the John McDougall MD website. If you check on “Hot Topics read more” and then click on Arthritis you can view the 10 miinute video on Juliea Baker a patient with JRA or one of the three newsletter articles he has written about inflammatory arthritis. There are patients with arthritis who have triggers in plant foods. Hopefully the information on NutritionFacts.org and the McDougall website will help you and family members work with your physicians to remain healthy and on no medications.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/LindaAbbott/ Linda Abbott

    Hi there. Do you have any information that can put to rest the theory that grain consumption causes inflammation which can sometimes lead to arthritis and joint pain. I’ve heard ideas like “cooked grains cause acid toxemia and contain opioids” to “grains and the synovial tissue in our bodies are similar chemically so our body attacks the grains, and they attack the joints”. Any aspect of this true to any degree?

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/msatomicpen/ msatomicpen

    at 35 and longstanding semi vegan, i had a ischaemic stroke of unknown etilogy. i´m now on crestor 5mg (for antiinflammatory purposes) and plavix 75mg. with history of lupus in my family. i want to get off of the pills.what foods do i eat tolower the inflammation.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/lucyna-jacobs/ Lucyna Jacobs

    Thank you Dr Dons,
    I have found the suggested links easily. I have come across Dr. McDoougall’s website during my research before, yet the arthritis section was quite hidden, so I missed it that time. I only knew he was teaching what I believed. Juliea’s story is very encouraging to both young girls suffering from JRA, and their mothers. Hope others will find it in this blog as well. Girls have been deeply affected by JRA symptoms, toxic treatment and prognosis coming from doctors belonging to “earth is flat” segment of people. Thank you for speaking up.

  • Michael Greger M.D.

    Please also check out my blog post, Watermelon for Erectile Dysfunction!

  • Scott

    I don’t see anything on this site about Fibromyalgia. My sister-in-law suffers from it and although I don’t hold out much hope that she will make a significant lifestyle change, I would like to be armed with some data when I suggest she incrementally move toward more of a plant-based diet.

  • Cypuppy46

    Dr. Greger, you are my new hero!  I have learned so much from your mini lectures- very well-researched and spin free!!!  Thank you so much- please keep it going!

  • Angela

    Thank you for such insightful information. I was diagnosed 3 years ago at 28yrs old. Started taking NSAID’s, steroids, methotrexate and now on Tocilizumab. but Since I quit dairy and gluten 2yrs ago my body feels better and I now only take Tocilizumab. I instany know if theres been dairy/whet in my food the night before because i’ll be to stiff to get dressed. i already eat very little meat, and I’m always aware of my food intake but I’m going vegan now after watching this video.
    I’m very thankful for this information.

  • Nancy H

    Linda, I have something that I think will help you. Message me back at nancyhelmold@gmail.com and we can talk.

  • bkp

    I have had RA since 1996 and am still taking methotrexate and placquinel. I have been following Dr. Esselstyn’s program (Whole Food Plant-Based, no oil, no dairy) for 3 1/2 months. I see no change in my RA symptoms. I tried to decrease my methotrexate from 10 2.5 mg per week to 8 2.5 mg per week (for 6 weeks) and my RA symptoms increased. Is there hope for me to get off of my medications?

  • veganwithlupus

    I have been vegan for 24 years, considering it the best thing I’ve done for my health and my conscience, but was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis 15 years ago after the birth of my son, later also being told I had lupus and Sjogren’s. I’m now 45, after living with relatively mild symptoms for years (taking naproxen and plaquenil most of that time) I now clearly have joint damage in my hands and difficulty walking with a swollen knee. I don’t know if there’s anything further I can do to help myself with diet or any supplements. I’ve tried such a lot of things already (perhaps mostly a waste of money) and I think I eat generally very well anyway, with a lot of very varied fresh (mainly raw) fruits and vegetables, lentils, beans, seeds etc, very little refined wheat flour or sugar. I used to be very active and walked a lot, but the recent increase in joint pain is now making it harder to exercise, though I’m still able to comfortably peddle a stationary exercise bike, though I hope that’s not going to do further damage to the inflamed knee? Unfortunately my rheumatologists don’t think there’s any connection between diet and RA, some other people have told me that I have caused or worsened my symptoms by being vegan. Any advice or suggestions would be very welcome. Thank you.

    • Rease

      Hi there — I, too, have lupus — 30 years! I began a vegan diet as well, but didn’t notice any significant change in my pain levels decreasing until I omitted all forms of oil and fat from my diet (with the exception of nuts, seeds and avocado.) As soon as I eat something with oil, I immediately feel it. Just wanted to pass that info on to you in case it’s of some help. I got used to sauteing foods in broth, wine, or just plain water, and I have a bunch of salad dressings without oil that are just delicious. So possibly try that…see if it makes a difference? Regards!

      • veganwithlupus

        Thanks for that, glad it’s working for you, I’ll give it a try.

  • Ande

    I have tried glucosamine and chondroitin for years for joint and knee pain and now my doctor say its Arthritis and prescript ‘Regenerix’ which is pretty expensive. I would want to try natural remedy, what would you recommend.

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