Discover The Truth About Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diet
Relationship Between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diet
Rheumatoid arthritis and diet are closely related. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects 1% of the world’s population, with women 3 times more likely than men to be affected. It is classified as a systemic autoimmune condition, although most commonly associated with its damage to the joints of the body. It can also affect organs. Rheumatoid arthritis can be painful and if not managed properly can also be debilitating. This article will talk about the close relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and diet and some tips you can get started on with today.
Most autoimmune diseases are treated with drugs. Rheumatoid arthritis is no exception. Commonly pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs are used. Also more hardcore disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs are also used. While I don’t doubt the effectiveness of these drugs managing the symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis, there are other things to take into consideration also. Just treating the symptoms is a good idea in the short term, in can help to ease the pain and make day to day life more bearable. But living on the reliance of drugs is a far cry from real health, that is why rheumatoid arthritis and diet are so important.
True health comes from addressing the underlying problem of the disease. In autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis this is the over active immune system. Normally the immune system acts to protect the body, as the first line of defence against foreign substances. The immune system will send antibodies to attack the foreign substances to get rid of them. In autoimmune disease the immune response has become overly sensitive and results in the body attacking its own cells and tissues. Like other autoimmune diseases rheumatoid arthritis and diet can be an excellent starting point to correct this over active immune response.
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diet – Where to Start?
The first thing we can start with for rheumatoid arthritis and diet is removing certain foods. There are some foods that are known to trigger immune responses and promote inflammation. Often we can be eating these foods everyday and perpetuating an endless cycle in our body. We could ignore this and mask the symptoms with medication or we could get to the root cause of the problem. The two main culprits tend to be wheat and dairy, but that is just a starting point. Removing these two food groups can be a good starting point. Although, I must admit to the uninitiated it may seem a bit tricky. But if you discover some tips and tricks it can be easy.
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diet Conclusions
Lastly, when thinking about rheumatoid arthritis and diet we can replace the bad foods with beneficial foods. What are beneficial foods? They can be foods that have strong anti-inflammatory effects or foods that are full of nutrients and replenish the health of the body. There are a whole range of supplements available now to help with inflammation and promote the health of joints. The relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and diet cannot be denied, for some people learning a little bit more information may make the change easier to implement.
