Dietary Supplements Recommended for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Dietary treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is primarily adjunctive, as the disease cannot be managed by nutritional changes alone.

Patients with RA must take a combination of medications, usually a combination of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), to control pain, inflammation, and slow the progression of the disease.

A well-balanced and healthful diet, however, can help to offset the emotional depression that often accompanies RA and to enable patients to maintain a normal schedule of activities. It also helps to prevent nutritional deficiencies in these patients that may be caused by the use of prescription drugs to control the disease.

DIETARY ALTERATIONS.

There is some indication that patients with RA benefit from cutting back on meat consumption or switching entirely to a vegetarian or vegan diet. One follow-up study of RA patients on a vegetarian diet showed that improvement continued after one and two years on the diet.

Another dietary adjustment that appears to benefit some people with RA is switching from cooking oils that are high in omega-6 fatty acids (which increase inflammation) to oils that are high in omega-3 fatty acids (which reduce inflammation. This second group includes olive oil, canola oil, and flaxseed oil.

DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS.

The most common dietary supplements recommended for patients with RA are as follows:

-Fish oil. The oils from cold-water fish have been reported to reduce inflammation and relieve joint pain in some patients with RA. The recommended daily dose is 1 to 2 teaspoons.

-Plant oils that are high in gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), which reduces inflammation in the joints. These plant oils include evening primrose oil, borage oil, and black current oil. The recommended daily dose is 200 to 300 mg.

-Green tea. Drinking 3 to 4 cups of green tea per day is thought to benefit RA patients by reducing inflammation in the joints.

The benefits of dietary adjustments or dietary supplements for RA vary considerably from patient to patient.Maintenance of a balanced diet, however, is valuable in preventing the nutritional deficiencies that sometimes occur in patients with RA as side effects of high dosages of DMARDs and NSAIDs.