Food Cures (26 page)

SIMPLE AND REFINED CARBOHYDRATES

Sugary foods, white flour baked goods, white rice, bread, crackers, and other refined carbohydrates set up a state of inflammation in the body, causing increases in cytokines and other pro-inflammatory compounds. Limit these foods if you want the best chance of reducing arthritis pain and progression.

FOODS TO ADD

These foods all help to reduce some aspect of inflammation:

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

The healthiest of fats for people with arthritis or other inflammatory disorders are omega-3 fatty acids, one of the polyunsaturated fats. While other foods increase levels of inflammation in the body, omega-3s actually work to decrease inflammation by suppressing the production of cytokines and enzymes that erode cartilage.

More than a dozen studies have demonstrated that omega-3 fish oils can reduce symptoms of RA. Study participants reported greater strength, less fatigue, reduced joint swelling and tenderness, less joint stiffness, and less pain.

Although the evidence is less clear about how fish oil affects osteoarthritis, the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3s are so potent that I recommend an omega-3-rich diet and fish oil supplements to all my clients with arthritis. I’ve seen some amazing results. Take Colleen—she was in her mid-40s, only about 10 pounds overweight, but she had a problem with high cholesterol. I put her on a cholesterol-lowering program, which included fish oil capsules. After a month, she returned for a follow-up appointment and I was pleased to see she had lost a couple of pounds, and her cholesterol had begun to return to healthy levels. But Colleen was ecstatic! She explained that her joint pain—which she’d never mentioned—had almost entirely disappeared. The fish oil supplements had made Colleen feel like a new person.

Emma was in her early 70s, and had diagnosed osteoarthritis. She needed to lose about 45 pounds, which contributed to her problem, but the extraordinary level of pain she felt in her knees and hands couldn’t be explained by weight alone. I put her on a healthy, calorie-controlled food plan and recommended that she take fish oil capsules…she also began taking glucosamine plus chondroitin supplements, and she began seeing an acupuncturist. Today, Emma swims and walks on a treadmill without pain, and she is more active than she has been in years. She still has pain flare-ups, but she feels much, much better. We don’t know which of the treatments was most effective, and Emma doesn’t really care. She feels healthy, and she is unwilling to stop taking any of her supplements, which she sees as her lifeline. (For more information about fish oil and other supplements, see the Supplements section, Chapter 8.)

ANTIOXIDANTS: VITAMIN C, SELENIUM, CAROTENES, BIOFLAVONOIDS

Inflammation produces free radicals, those cell-damaging molecules that are formed in response to toxins or natural body processes. The synovium is just as prone to this kind damage as the skin, eyes, or any other body tissue. Antioxidants protect the body from the effects of free radicals, and are a critical part of an anti-inflammation diet. Research has demonstrated that certain antioxidants may help prevent arthritis, slow its progression, and relieve pain. The most powerful antioxidants are vitamin C, selenium, carotenes, and bioflavonoids.

Vitamin C
is one of the nutrients most responsible for the health of collagen, a major component of cartilage. In addition, research suggests that people who eat a diet low in vitamin C may have a greater risk of developing some kinds of arthritis. For those reasons, it is important to make vitamin C-rich foods an important part of your daily diet.
However
, researchers at Duke University found that long-term, high-dose vitamin C supplements may make your osteoarthritis
worse
. I say
may
because the research was conducted on guinea pigs. The researchers’ assumption is that it will have the same effect in people. I wouldn’t want you to risk your health with supplements, so if you have osteoarthritis, I recommend you get vitamin C from food sources only—not from an individual supplement, but multivitamins are fine.

Low levels of the mineral
selenium
are related to osteoarthritis severity, and possibly to rheumatoid arthritis. In a study of more than 900 people, those who had low levels of selenium were more likely to have osteoarthritis of the knee. People who ate very few selenium-rich foods were nearly twice as likely to have severe arthritis compared with those who ate a selenium-rich diet.

Carotenes
are a group of powerful antioxidant nutrients found in many fruits and vegetables. The best known is beta carotene, but there are many others. When it comes to arthritis, the carotene called beta cryptoxanthin may reduce the risk of developing inflammation-related disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers from the United Kingdom found that people who ate diets high in beta cryptoxanthin were half as likely to develop a form of inflammatory arthritis as those who ate very few beta cryptoxanthin foods. They found that adding just one additional serving each day of a food high in beta cryptoxanthin helped reduce arthritis risk.

The
bioflavonoids
quercetin and anthocyanidins are both forms of antioxidants.

The anti-inflammatory effects of
quercetin
may seem to be similar to those of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (such as aspirin and ibuprofen). For example, the synovial fluid in joints of people with rheumatoid arthritis contain highly inflammatory chemicals called
tumor necrosis factor
(TNF). In research, quercetin was able to limit the inflammatory effects of TNF.

Anthocyanidins
and proanthocyanidins are powerful antioxidants known to reduce inflammation. They seem to inhibit production of certain inflammatory chemicals, including cytokines and prostaglandins. They contribute to the health of connective tissue, and are more powerful than vitamin C for defusing dangerous free radicals that can irritate body tissues and cause inflammation.

GREEN TEA

Green tea’s health benefits are often underestimated. Compared with regular black tea, green tea looks weak and insubstantial. But this mild-mannered drink contains a natural antioxidant called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Studies suggest that EGCG works to stop the production of certain inflammatory chemicals in the body, including those involved in arthritis. Green tea also contains other antioxidants called
catechins
, which may prevent cartilage from breaking down, so joints may be preserved longer.

OLIVE OIL

Olive oil contains the “good” monounsaturated fat, which protects the body against inflammation because it contains antioxidants called
polyphenols
. In animal studies, rats with arthritis were fed diets high in various kinds of oils. The researchers found that both fish oil and olive oil prevented arthritis-related inflammation. I recommend using olive oil when cooking, instead of vegetable oil or butter. Don’t pour it on—just substitute one for the other in equal or lesser amounts. Ideally, you’ll want to choose an olive oil high in polyphenols. That may sound like a tough call, but it is really very simple—just look for the words
extra virgin
on the olive oil label and you’ll get the highest antioxidant content available.

VITAMIN D

Although we mostly think of vitamin D as important for bone strength, it is also critical for a number of other body functions, including joint health. Studies have shown that getting adequate amounts of vitamin D reduces the risk of both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Among people who already have osteoarthritis, those who have a vitamin D deficiency are more likely to develop worsening disability over time. Getting even the basic daily requirements of vitamin D leads to greater muscle strength, improvement in physical functioning, and preservation of cartilage (that’s at least 400 IU until age 70, and at least 600 IU for folks 70 and older).