Controlling your Diet to Control your ArthritisArthritis Control a Dietary Approach
Arthritis Sufferers at Nutritional RiskPatients with arthritis, particularly, Rheumatoid Arthritis are considered to be at nutritional risk for many reasons. One cause of poor nutritional status in this patient population is thought to be the result of the weight loss and cachexia linked to cytokine production. In patients experiencing chronic inflammation, the production of cytokines, such as interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor, increases resting metabolic rate and protein breakdown. The patient then is faced with the challenge of increasing both calorie and protein intake to meet the nutritional requirements of the increased metabolic rate. This is frequently difficult. Food intake is often lowered in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. The arthritis pain and swelling associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis frequently make food preparation and purchasing difficult for those who live alone or have limited resources. Medications Increase Nutritional ProblemsArthritis medications may also compound these nutritional problems. Particularly considering these medications are often taken on a long term basis. One example of this is observed in patients receiving methotrexate, where patients are frequently identified with folic acid deficiency. Additionally, prolonged dosing of other Rheumatoid Arthritis medications may be associated with conditions such as gastritis or peptic ulcer, frequently reducing a persons desire to eat. The most commonly observed vitamin and mineral deficiencies in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, are folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, zinc and selenium. Although, food is always the preferred source for vitamins and minerals, it may be essential to use supplementation to assist in counterbalancing the outlined deficiencies and improving nutritional status for patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. There are many factors to consider with regards to arthritic diets and nutritional healing, and each factor may not apply to each individual. For example, certain people are allergic to specific foods, and these allergies can indeed worsen arthritic conditions. Ingesting foods that contain sodium nitrate or tartrazine can inflame rheumatoid arthritis, while ingesting foods containing a substance called hydrazine can contribute to systemic lupus erythematosus, an arthritic condition connected to lupus. There is a rare type of arthritis called Behcet's Disease, and eating black walnuts can cause flare-ups in people with this rare condition. In some patients, specific foods have been shown to exacerbate the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Avoiding these foods or food groups has been shown to have limited, short term benefits but no benefits long term. Even though different forms of dietary modification have reportedly improved symptoms in some patients, people with Rheumatoid Arthritis may have spontaneous temporary remissions. The conventional medical position is that with the exception of gout and a few rare forms of arthritis a healthy diet and weight loss is the best approach to dealing with the effects of arthritis. But there is allot of literature and some case studies and clinical studies proclaiming the effectiveness of an number dietary approaches to reducing or managing the symptoms of arthritis. While more thorough than most, the following clinical study demonstrates the application of the diet elimination therapy. Read on for both medical and add next page Some of our Moist Heat wraps for Arthritis ....
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