“I have just been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I have been in a lot of pain for a while now and my elbows and fingers are very inflamed. I’ve read that food allergies can make symptoms of RA worse. Can you give me some advice please?”
Clinical Nutritionist Suzie Sawyer answers:
There is much that can be done nutritionally to help with the inflammation associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA. Evidence suggests that food allergy also plays a role in some sufferers. Potentially the nightshade family of foods (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and eggplant) may be problematic so it’s worth eliminating them for a month to see if things improve.
Apart from that, adopting a mainly vegetarian diet and cutting out meat and dairy foods may help to reduce inflammation associated with arthritis. Eating brightly-coloured fruits and vegetables such as red grapes, green vegetables, apples and berries provide great sources of antioxidant-rich flavonoids, which support the immune system and are anti-inflammatory. Green tea also provides the same compounds.
Try to add turmeric and ginger to your diet as much as possible; turmeric is rich in curcuminoids, which help prevent the inflammatory process and ginger contains powerful gingerols, which have the same effect. Additionally, eat plenty of oily fish, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for the joints.
The herb devil’s claw contains compounds called harpagosides as well as flavonoids, both of which help to ‘mop-up’ free radicals naturally, thereby reducing the inflammatory process.
Tweaking your diet and taking supplements will hopefully provide some relief. It can take up to a couple of months before you feel the benefits but it’s certainly worth persevering.
