Rheumatoid arthritis patients to adhere to the treatment, but also to eat!
A growing body of evidence suggests that changing diet can improve symptoms and reduce the number of inflammatory markers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Nutritional treatment plays an important role in this autoimmune disease.
Remove and add some food or nutrition supplements, is often thought of as a potential method for effect of rheumatoid arthritis, but researchers at the university of California, San Diego school of medicine in the United States, recently at the American rheumatism association annual meeting in Atlanta, a study has shown that in just two weeks, anti-inflammatory diet can improve the symptom such as rheumatoid arthritis patients with tenderness and swelling.
The sample size of the pilot study was small, with only 22 women with rheumatoid arthritis (all seropositive) with an average age of 55 taking part in the two-week trial.
These patients had at least three tender and three swollen joints on physical examination.
They were given diets that increased the ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids, added anti-inflammatory spices (such as turmeric), antioxidants, probiotics and prebiotics, and removed inflammation-boosting foods such as lactose, gluten and red meat.
What are omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids?
Among the essential unsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids are a love-killing couple.
The balance between the two is vital to human health.
Omega-3 fatty acids soothe and suppress inflammation, preventing a variety of chronic diseases;
Its main sources are deep-sea fish and fish oils.
Omega-6 fatty acids promote inflammation, which can lead to health problems.
Its main sources are corn, soybeans and processed products, such as various vegetable oils, fried foods and pork, beef and mutton.
Modern people tend to consume far more omega-6 fatty acids than the body needs to metabolize, which often has the side effect of inflammation.
In fact, the most reasonable ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids is 4:1.
How is disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis assessed?
Two weeks before the start of the study, the researchers collected clinical and biological characteristics of each participant at baseline, and measured their symptoms and disease activity using two standard measures (DAS28 and CDAI).
In DAS28, DAS stands for “disease activity score” and 28 is the number of joints examined.
The score was calculated from a range of measures, including joint swelling and tenderness, an overall score of pain, blood markers of inflammation, a questionnaire assessing physical function, and an ultrasound or MRI image.
CDAI is a composite score that takes into account the number of joints with tenderness, the number of joints with swelling, the patient’s assessment of disease activity (0 to 10) and the physician’s assessment of disease activity (0 to 10).
The day before the start of the study, the researchers again measured the patients’ clinical parameters and instructed each on how to follow the diet and keep a daily food journal.
After 14 days, the subjects were evaluated based on measures of blood samples, clinical indicators, and dietary adherence.
Serum levels of oxolipids, a by-product of fatty acid metabolism, were measured by mass spectrometry.
A total of 17 women took part in the full trial.
■ Number of swollen joints and other arthritis symptoms before and after changing diet
After two weeks, patients had significantly improved DAS28 and CDAI scores.
The number of tender and swollen joints observed by doctors and felt by patients decreased, as did their fatigue, stress and joint stiffness.
Some pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory linoleic acid-derived oxolipids were significantly altered before and after dietary changes and correlated with DAS28 and CDAI scores.
■ Research defects
The study’s drawback is that it wasn’t a randomized, double-blind trial, so it’s hard to determine how much placebo helps.
But there is no denying that the anti-inflammatory diet has played a complementary role in improving the quality of life of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
These herbs and spices can relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
1
ginger
Ginger has been widely used in Asian medicine and cooking for centuries for its anti-inflammatory properties.
A study by researchers at the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, published in the Journal of Arthritis, showed that ginger inhibits the production of inflammatory molecules known as leukotrienes, as well as prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that cause pain and inflammation.
People with rheumatoid arthritis can try stir-frying chicken or vegetables with chopped ginger, eating fresh pickled ginger, or adding grated ginger to soups.
2
thyme
Thyme is an aromatic herb with strong antioxidant capacity and has a long history as a flavoring.
In a study published in Pharmacognosy Letters, researchers at Griffith University in Australia showed that thyme has anti-inflammatory effects in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Patients can add a small handful of thyme or fresh leaves to meat, poultry, beans, tomatoes or scrambled eggs, or add it to soups and stews.
3
turmeric
In Indian and traditional Chinese medicine, turmeric is used to treat a variety of conditions, including arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders.
In addition to having anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric and curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) also have analgesic effects, according to a study by researchers at Husai University in South Korea published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods.
Patients can add turmeric to soups, stews and curries.
Mix turmeric with black pepper to help your body absorb the yellow spice better.
4
Green tea
Green tea is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols, which help reduce inflammation and protect joints, thus reducing the severity of arthritis.
Researchers at Egypt’s Ain Shams University reported in the International Journal of Rheumatology that green tea extract has stronger anti-inflammatory effects than black tea.
Patients can drink hot green tea, iced green tea, or matcha (made from the powder of ground green tea leaves) daily.
5
cinnamon
Iran, watts university school of medicine researchers published in the journal of the American dietetic association, according to research results on 36 female patients with rheumatoid arthritis (ra) ate four a day, each contains 500 mg of cinnamon powder) capsule, for eight weeks, the number of C – reactive protein in their blood decreases obviously, the activity of disease is reduced, the decrease in the number of tenderness and swelling of the joints.
Patients can add cinnamon sticks (or powder) to oatmeal, smoothies, soups, stews, or teas.
It is important to note that consuming large amounts of this spice can interfere with blood clotting and the effectiveness of blood-thinning drugs.
6
garlic
Like leeks and Onions, garlic contains diallyldisulfide, an organic sulfur compound found in Allium, which is an anti-inflammatory compound that reduces the action of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Researchers from Yangzhou University Hospital published their findings in the Journal of Environmental Pathology, Toxicology and Oncology. They found that garlic reduced inflammation and reduced disease activity in rats with arthritis, which prevented their cartilage from being damaged.
Sufferers can slice or chop fresh garlic and add it to any dish to relieve pain.
7
Black pepper
Black pepper has antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and stomach-protecting properties thanks to its active ingredient (piperine).
In a study published in the Journal of Arthritis Research and Treatment, researchers at Kyung Hee University in South Korea showed that taking piperine helped reduce symptoms of inflammation and pain in animals with arthritis.
Patients can use black pepper to taste any dish, including salads, soups and eggs.