Low Fat Vegan Diet Reduces Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain
/By Pat Anson, PNN Editor
A small new study found that a low-fat vegan diet can help improve joint pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis – the latest research to show that healthier diets can significantly reduce pain levels. Study participants also lost weight and lowered their cholesterol levels by eliminating their consumption of animal fats and inflammatory foods.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive and incurable disease in which the body’s immune system attacks joint tissues, causing pain, inflammation and bone erosion.
“A plant-based diet could be the prescription to alleviate joint pain for millions of people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis,” says lead author Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Committee for Responsible Medicine. “And all of the side effects, including weight loss and lower cholesterol, are only beneficial.”
Thirty-two people diagnosed with RA from the Washington DC area completed the study after being assigned to one of two groups for 16 weeks.
The first group followed a vegan diet for four weeks, eliminating their consumption of meat, dairy products and eggs. During weeks 5 through 7, the diet was further restricted to eliminate gluten-containing grains, as well as potatoes, chocolate, nuts, citrus, onions, tomatoes, bananas, apples and coffee.
Vegan foods that participants were encouraged to eat included rice, oats, quinoa, broccoli, kale, collards, Brussels sprouts, squash, carrots, apricots, blueberries, plums, lentils and beans. There were no restrictions on calories or how often they ate.
After week 7, the excluded foods were reintroduced, one at a time, every 2 days. Any food that was associated with pain or other symptoms upon reintroduction was eliminated
The second group followed an unrestricted diet but were asked to take a daily placebo capsule. After 16 weeks, the groups switched diets.
The study findings, published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, showed a significant reduction in pain and inflammation during the vegan stage of the study. Participants lost an average of two points in their Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28), which measures swollen joints, joint tenderness and C-reactive protein levels – a marker for inflammation. DAS28 levels typically increase with rheumatoid arthritis severity.
The average number of swollen joints decreased from 7.0 to 3.3 in the vegan phase, while increasing slightly for participants in the placebo phase.
In addition to reductions in pain and swelling, participants lost an average of 14 pounds on the vegan diet, compared with a gain of about 2 pounds on the placebo diet. There were also greater reductions in total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol during the vegan phase.
Notably, although participants were asked not to alter or reduce their use of medication during the study, several of them did so – in most cases because they felt less need for them.
“In conclusion, the current study suggests that a low-fat vegan diet eliminating specific foods, without fasting and without caloric restriction, may improve joint pain. Additional studies are needed in which the diagnosis is confirmed by independent observers and medications remain stable in a larger sample,” said Barnard.
Many previous studies have shown an association between healthy diets and lower pain levels. Gluten-free diets have been shown to improve symptoms of fibromyalgia and neuropathy, while Mediterranean diets rich in anti-inflammatory foods lower the risk developing chronic pain. And diets that include lots of fatty fish and less processed food reduce the frequency and severity of migraines.
One of the strictest diets of all – a very low energy diet (VLED) that limits people to just 800 calories a day – was recently found to significantly reduce fibromyalgia pain after just three weeks.
