Proper diet is very important in providing relief against rheumatoid arthritis. Explore the article below to learn more on the fact vs. fiction regarding the rheumatoid arthritis diet.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet: Fact Vs. Fiction

As in any kind of disease and disorders, the diet plays a very crucial role in curbing and regulating its spread. A healthy diet is the mainstay of healthy living and it is the crucial barrier that keeps diseases at bay. Most people turn their sights on a healthy and balanced diet only when they are confronted with certain diseases and disorders. Then in their mad scramble for a diet to provide relief for their affliction, they try to incorporate or reject any foods whether it benefits them or not. Various foods have their own lore, which whether true or false is subject to debate. However, most people do not consider it. If they hear that a certain food should be avoided to get relief from the disease they are suffering, then they go all the way to do it. This is quite detrimental as in most case the particular food does not have any harmful effects. So, when you avoid it, you are missing on some important nutrition. This is particularly true in the case of rheumatoid arthritis where the diet constantly switches between the realms of fact to the realm of fiction. This is mostly because most of the studies and research on rheumatoid arthritis is still going on. However, to be on the same side separating the myth from the fact will go a long way in adopting a diet that provides relief against this disease.
 
Information On Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet 
  • A very popular belief is that foods like potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers aggravate arthritis. It is said that eliminating these foods from the diets relieves arthritis. However, there are no studies to support this claim. 
  • Another myth is that the rheumatoid arthritis is caused by the presence of too much acid. So, the patients should have more of the alkaline diet. They should not include sugar, coffee, red meat, nuts and citrus foods in their diet. Here again no diet supports it. The main cause of this myth can be because the alkaline diet causes the loss of weight and this reduces the stress on the joints, easing the pain.
  • Another very popular diet that is said to relieve arthritis is the dong diet. In this diet, vegetable is the mainstay except tomatoes. It also excludes coffee, sugar, and citrus foods. However, there are no studies or evidence that states that the dong diet relieves arthritis.
  • Many people believe that grapes and raisins are great for arthritis. This is due to the belief that grapes and raisins contain anti-inflammatory properties. However, experts are of the view that, though grapes and raisins do contain anti-inflammatory compounds they are in minute quantities to be of therapeutic value. Another belief is that consuming raisins soaked in gin can relieve the pain of arthritis. Though the gin numbs the pain, it can cause various other health problems.
  • Green tea has been found beneficial to treat arthritis in mice. This led many people to think that drinking three to four cups of green tea can be good for arthritis as green tea is a rich source of polyphenolic compounds. However, the human studies have not shown the expected results.
  • Flaxseeds have numerous nutritional values. However, for rheumatoid arthritis patients to solely rely on it cannot be the solution. This is because all the studies conducted on the effect of flaxseed on arthritis patients have shown mixed results.

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