The Young and the RA

We all eat. It’s how we survive, right? Well, what effects do our diets have on our RA? There has been research about the benefits of a vegetarian diet:

“Fats from animal foods enhance the production of certain chemicals in the body that produce inflammation, and several studies have shown that people with RA improve on a vegetarian diet” (Bastyr Center for Natural Health).   

Now, I have been a vegetarian since I was in the second grade. I didn’t become one because of animal rights. I didn’t become one because anyone in my family was. And I definitely didn’t become one because it was cool. Why did I become a vegetarian? I did it to spite my father, I guess. (It’s a very long story, if you are interested in hearing it message me, and I’d love to tell you the whole thing.)

Anyways, long story short, I haven’t eaten meat in close to 15 years now (well, at least knowingly), and now I find the idea of eating it repulsive. (Not that I mind others eating meat. Hey, all my brother eats is steak and pizza, and my boyfriend’s a hunter!)  

Well, despite my diet, I got RA, so obviously having a vegetarian diet isn’t any sort of preventative measure, but my diet may be helping keep my RA under control.  My diet does have one draw back however: I don’t eat fish. Fish is a great source of omega-3, which has been seen to help RA (see my earlier post about omega-3).  So, a Mediterranean diet might be a better recommendation for those with RA:

“A 2003 study reported that RA patients who followed it experienced reduced inflammatory activity, improved physical function and improved vitality compared to those on a standard Western diet. The Mediterranean diet is also rich in heart-healthy fiber and nutrients, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants” (My RACentral.com).  

So what else should you change in your diet? Research has shown that dairy can also aggravate RA (British Medical Journal). So stay away from the milk and cheese as much as possible!  

I know that making such big changes in your diet can be hard. I didn’t even become a vegetarian over night. I took months to give up bacon and Canadian bacon on my pizza! But I was willing to suck it up to show my dad that I was a “real” vegetarian. (Yeah, dumb reason, I know. But I was nine. What do you expect?)

The point is, isn’t it worth it to give up eating steak, hamburgers and cheese every day (you can still have them on occasion!) to get rid of joint pain? I think it is. I’ve already reduced the amount of cheese I eat, which was pretty hard since I am addicted to the stuff. So just try it out. You might be surprised at how good you feel.

Until next time,

S.P.