Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complicated, incurable disease that can strike anyone at any time, but its most likely victims are women over the age of 40.Essentially, it's a disease which primarily affects the joints, such that they become painful and inflamed. This inflammation can lead to damage not only to the joints themselves, but also to the tendons and other organs within the body. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent the disease causing extreme damage, so a visit to a doctor is a must for everyone suffering from any of the following, most common RA symptoms: joint pain, extreme tiredness, stiffness in the mornings or dry and painful eyes. Although, there is no cure for the disease, there are medications a doctor can prescribe to relieve pain and to reduce inflammation in order to prevent or reduce future damage. Should the disease be very aggressive and already have caused severe damage to the joints, there are also surgical methods of intervention available.
Self Help for Rheumatoid Arthritis Sufferers
Whilst no cure is available, many RA sufferers have found that supplementing and modifying the diet can bring amazing amounts of relief. Of course, doing so isn't a substitute for professional medical care or the exercise that is recommended for RA sufferers, but it's a way, subject to approval from one's own medical practictioner, in which the sufferer can take some control and manage their disease.
Supplements for Easing the Effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Supplements that are recommended for RA sufferers are: glucosamine sulphate, chondroitin sulphate, MSM (Methylsulfonymethane), vitamin C, omega-3, cod liver oil, zinc, vitamin E and a good multivitamin.
Recommended Foods for Sufferers of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Foods that are suitable for RA sufferers are not as clear cut, for just as sufferers experience the disease in different forms and with varying effects, so there are differences in the foods that people have found to be both helpful and harmful. This makes it impossible to detail a precise diet that will work for everyone. However, it seems there is a core group of food and drink items that positively help and/or do not harm, and it makes good sense to begin a personal journey of eating one's way back to health by creating an initial diet from such foods. The list of good foods for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers is as follows:
- alfalfa, apples, apricots, asparagus, avocados
- basil, barley, beans (green & white), beets, blueberries, bran, bread (wholemeal & pumpernickel)
- carrots, chickpeas, cinnamon, coconut, cranberries, cucumber
- dates
- figs, fish (oily)
- garlic, ginger, grapes (red)
- honey, hummus
- lemon grass, lettuce
- maple syrup, mushrooms
- nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds and hazlenuts
- oil (olive), onions
- pasta (wholewheat), peaches, plums, pomegranates, potatoes (sweet), prawns
- raisins, rice (brown)
- salmon, salt (small amounts) seeds, shrimps, spinach, sprouts, squash, strawberries
- turmeric, tuna
- watercress
- water (still and sparkling),
- green tea
- red wine in moderate amounts
Foods to Avoid when Suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis
The following list of foods are generally considered problematic for RA sufferers, so it is wise to either avoid them altogether or to introduce them one at a time to test for personal reactions.
- alcohol (other than red wine), aubergine
- bananas, butter
- caffeine, cheese, corn, cream
- eggs, eggplant
- flour (white)
- grapefruit
- lemons
- meat, malt, margarine, milk
- oats, oil (polyunsaturated), oranges
- peanuts, peppers, potatoes (other than sweet potatoes)
- rye
- salt (excess), soda drinks, soya
- tomatoes
Of course, possible food items far exceed the lists above, but these are simply the foods from which to begin creating a personal food plan that works on an individual basis. If there is a food item an RA sufferer would really like to include, it is necessary to do research to establish whether it is considered good, bad or neutral, but it is advisable to check out several sources because what is good for one sufferer is not good for everyone. That is why it is best to begin with, and then branch out from a group of foods that seem approved by all RA sufferers.
Once again, it is important that each RA sufferer works with their doctor, both in terms of taking supplements and changing their diet, so no one should begin to make any changes or advise anyone else to do so until medical approval is gained by the individual concerned.
Elaine Pounder - Wife, mother and grandmother now living in an empty nest in Abu Dhabi where I'm delighted to find some of my own long held dreams are ...
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