Quarter of Patients Claim Diet Influences Their Rheumatoid Arthritis Save

Patients often characterize certain foods as  “inflammatory” or “anti-inflammatory” as they combat their arthritis. Diet continues to be a prime issue with patients, while physicians may be indifferent to or unaware of any advantages of dietary manipulation to help manage rheumatoid arthritis (RA).  

Tedeschi and colleagues from The Brigham, surveyed 300 RA patients from a single large academic center.; asking about the effects of 20 specific foods their effect on RA symptoms.

Among 217 subjects (72% response rate), most (83%) were female with a long disease duration over half were using a biologic DMARD.

A quarter reported that certain foods affect their RA, with 15% reporting improvement and 19% worsening.

Blueberries and spinach were the foods most often reported to improve RA symptoms, while soda with sugar and desserts were most often reported to worsen RA symptoms.

Other factors influencing dietary effects included: younger age, sleep, warm room temperature, and vitamin/mineral supplements.  On the other hand, medication use, sex, body mass index, smoking, disease duration, disease activity scores, and RA flares were not linked to foods effect on RA.

According to RA with longstanding disease, up to 25% note that diet has both positive and negative effects on their RA.