Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by pain and swelling that affects primarily the joints, but may also affect other body parts. While no scientifically proven “arthritis diet” currently exists, research indicates that watching what you eat may significantly decrease the disease’s symptoms, including pain, fatigue, and inflammation.

General Guidelines for an RA Diet
Studies show that the optimal diet for people with RA includes an abundance of vegetables, whole foods (unprocessed and unrefined), and fiber. Decreasing or eliminating your intake of sugar, meat, refined carbohydrates, saturated fat, and tobacco may also reduce your symptoms. Some research also points to a link between food allergies and RA.

How to Determine Your Best Diet for RA
To find out which foods support your health and which may be related to flare-ups of your symptoms, keep a journal to track your diet. Write down what and when you eat and drink and record your physical symptoms and mood before and afterwards. Look for patterns, and keep in mind that your reactions to what you ingest may not be immediate.

Eliminate all foods you suspect may be causing your RA symptoms and then gradually introduce them one at a time. If certain foods cause a reaction, eliminate them from your diet. The most common foods that aggravate RA are wheat, corn, dairy products, beef, and vegetables in the nightshades family, which include tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, sweet and hot peppers, tomatillos, pepinos, pimentos, paprika, and cayenne.

Best Foods for RA
To decrease inflammation, eat plenty of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants are substances that help protect your body from the effects of free radicals—potentially harmful byproducts of the body’s metabolism. Apples, beets, blueberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, oranges, peppers, plums, red grapes, spinach, and strawberries are all great sources of antioxidants. Green tea is another rich source of antioxidants and has been studied for both preventing and reducing RA.

Because people with RA may be deficient in vitamin E, include green leafy vegetables (collard greens, Boston lettuce, Romaine lettuce, Bibb lettuce, spinach), broccoli, nuts (almonds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts and peanuts), kiwifruit, and mango.

Cold-water fish (salmon, halibut, mackerel, herring, sardines, black cod, blue fish) are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to significantly reduce inflammatory and allergic responses. Cod liver oil and flaxseed oil also contain significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.

Calcium may be especially beneficial for people with RA. Good dairy-free sources include spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, and blackstrap molasses.

Foods to Avoid for RA
Studies show that saturated fats may increase inflammation in the body, contributing to pain, swelling, and joint destruction. Avoid fatty meats (bacon, steak), dairy products especially cream and cheese, and vegetable oils that contain omega-6 fatty acids (corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, wheat germ oil, and sesame oil).

Saturated fats, hydrogenated oils and partially hydrogenated oils (margarine, shortening), rich fatty foods, fried foods, and refined sugar all increase the acidity of the body, promoting inflammation and worsening pain and other symptoms.

While most arthritis diets recommended avoiding alcohol, studies performed in Denmark and Sweden showed a decreased risk of rheumatoid arthritis in subjects who regularly consumed alcohol.

Other Factors Effecting RA Symptoms
Excess weight can put additional stress on your joints and exacerbate RA flare-ups, so try to maintain an ideal weight for your height.

Because some treatments for RA can affect your use of various nutrients, including calcium, vitamin B, and folic acid, ask your rheumatologist about which beverages and foods might be important to add to your diet.

Summary
While diet alone cannot cure you of rheumatoid arthritis, noticing how different foods affect your symptoms and overall well-being can guide you towards individualizing your diet and optimizing your health.

For more information about arthritis, visit the Arthritis Foundation.

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