Does diet have a direct impact on arthritis?

Question: Does diet have a direct impact on arthritis?

Is there any evidence that diet has a direct impact on arthritis, either by triggering the disease or causing it to flare? How effective might an elimination diet be in controlling arthritis?

Answer: Gout is a specific example of an arthritic condition that is partially treatable by diet. Avoiding red meats, shellfish and lobster, and alcohol, will reduce the frequency of acute gouty attacks. Food allergy has also been identified as a trigger for the development of certain rheumatic symptoms.

Scientific studies suggest that a small number of patients develop a non-specific allergic immunologic reaction in their joints, causing an inflammatory reaction. Conversely, certain dietary substances including fish and plant oils, have shown clinical reduction in joint inflammation, evidenced by a decrease in joint tenderness, and a reduction in time of fatigue. Nutritional therapy for arthritis, however, has been generally disappointing.

Despite the many acclaimed diets advertised in books, magazines, and patient testimonials, no universal diet has proven successful in permanently curing an arthritic patient. My general advice to patients with arthritis is to avoid all foods that seem to make their symptoms worse, and to enjoy what’s left on the table. (Answer provided by the late Dr. Raymond Federman, aka Dr. Bones, who passed away on September 2, 2003. The care of his patients even in retirement was always his joy.)