A gluten-free vegan diet can better protect rheumatoid arthritis patients against heart attacks and stroke. Rheumatoid arthritis is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease but a gluten-free vegan diet can lower cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (also referred to as LDL or bad cholesterol), and oxidized LDL. The gluten-free vegan diet was also shown to raise levels of natural antibodies against damaging compounds in the body, such as phosphorylcholine, that cause rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

Researchers associated with the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm divided 66 rheumatoid arthritis patients into two groups. Of the study participants, 38 were assigned to eat a gluten-free diet while the other 28 were assigned a well-balanced but non-vegan diet for one year. According to the study results published in the March 18, 2008 issue of Arthritis Research & Therapy, the gluten-free vegan diet also lowered body-mass index. Other fatty molecules, including triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein (also referred to as HDL or good cholesterol) stayed the same. None of the indicators differed for the group on the healthy, non-vegan diet. The researchers concluded that diet could be used to improve the long-term health of people with rheumatoid arthritis by protecting against inflammation and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), but a bigger study is needed to derive more specific information.

Related Resources:

• Vegan Cooking (Vegetarian Food at About.com)
• Gluten-Free Cooking (Celiac Disease at About.com)
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: Explained With Pictures
• Report: Cholesterol, Other Lipids, and Lipoproteins
• 10 Facts You Need to Know About Rheumatoid Arthritis

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