Food choices
As we know, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks itself, creating inflammation and damage to the joints and may also affect body organs, such as eyes, lungs, and heart. We also know there is no miracle diet to cure rheumatoid arthritis. However, food choices can help controlling inflammation, and RA is a disease of inflammation.
Did you know some food have anti-inflammatory properties? Given this, the Arthritis Foundation is recommending the Mediterranean Diet. Why? The diet is primarily vegetables, fruit, lean meats, and fish.
Eating a healthy diet, rich in fruit and vegetables and managing your weight are ways to help manage some of problems related to RA.
There is one caveat - the Mediterranean Diet has a lot of nightshade vegetables, and some people with arthritis find that nightshades can increase their inflammation.
Nightshades
Why: Nightshade vegetables, including eggplant, tomatoes, red bell peppers and potatoes, are disease-fighting powerhouses that boast maximum nutrition for minimal calories.
Why not: They also contain solanine, a chemical that has been branded the culprit in arthritis pain. There’s no scientific evidence to suggest that nightshades trigger arthritis flares.
Test it: Some experts believe these vegetables contain a potent nutrient mix that helps inhibit arthritis pain. However, many people do report symptom relief when they avoid nightshade vegetables. So, if you notice that your arthritis pain flares after eating them, consider eliminating all nightshade vegetables from your diet for a few weeks to see if it makes a difference. Then slowly add them back into your diet to see if symptoms worsen or stay the same.
From Arthritis Foundation
Additional Options
Spices that are known to help with inflammation include ginger, turmeric, cinnamon. Many people with RA take turmeric as supplements. Others use the various spices in cooking to help fight inflammation. Ayurvedic medicine has used these spices for centuries. One beverage recommended for fighting inflammation is golden milk (sometimes called tumeric milk). Check out the recipe below.
Golden Milk
2 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
2 inches of sliced fresh turmeric root
1 inch sliced fresh ginger root
A tablespoon of coconut oil (or ghee)
A pinch of black pepper
Warm milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Add turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper. Stir until well combined. If you are new to turmeric, start with a lower quantity and gradually increase as you develop a taste for it.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, but do not boil. Allow simmering for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until smooth, hot, fragrant and flavorful.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Strain the golden milk over a fine-mesh sieve into your favorite mug. Discard the solids. When slightly cooled, stir the ghee (or coconut oil) and sweetener of your choice (if using) into the milk. If you use honey as sweetener, make sure that you don’t heat honey: heated honey is considered toxic in Ayurveda.
Drink while it is still warm.
Time for a knowledge check
Below there are two multiple questions related to food and RA - why not check your knowledge of food & RA below?