[Effects of a low calorie vegan diet on disease activity and general conditions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the effects of a low-calorie vegan diet combined with intermittent fasting on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms and general health markers.
Results Summary
The study found that the vegan diet and fasting regimen led to weight loss, improvements in inflammatory markers (Lansbury index, ESR), and lipid profiles (decreased LDL-C, increased HDL-C), but no significant change in CRP or total protein/albumin levels.
Population
14 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Japan.
Effective Dosage
1200 kcal vegan diet (unpolished rice gruel, raw vegetable juice, soya bean curd, sesame seeds) with three 3-5-day fasting periods.
Duration
55 days.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | decrease | average body weight | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | 5.1kg | decreased | #1 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | decrease | Lansbury index | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | decreased | #2 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | decrease | ESR | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | decreased | #3 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | no change | CRP | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | did not change | #4 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | decrease | WBC | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | decreased | #5 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | decrease | neutrophils | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | showed a decrease | #6 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | decrease | eosinophils | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | showed a decrease | #7 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | decrease | monocytes | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | showed a decrease | #8 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | no change | lymphocytes | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | without a change | #9 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | no change | basophils | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | without a change | #10 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | increase | RBC | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | increased | #11 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | increase | hemoglobin | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | increased | #12 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | increase | MCV | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | increased | #13 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | decrease | LDL-C | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | decreased | #14 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | increase | HDL-C | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | increased | #15 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | no change | total protein | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | no change | #16 |
1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and a 3-5-day fast three times | no change | albumin | 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital | - | no change | #17 |
low calorie vegan diet and fasting | increase | RA | patients with RA | - | may contribute to improve | #18 |
There is little objective information about diet therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Japan. We studied 14 patients with RA who stayed in the Koda hospital for 55 days. They basically took a 1200 kcal vegan diet consisting of unpolished rice gruel, juice of raw vegetables, soya bean curd and sesame seeds, and undertook a 3-5-day fast three times. During the 55-day stay, average body weight decreased by 5.1kg. Lansbury index and ESR decreased whereas CRP did not change. WBC decreased and the differential cell counts showed a decrease of neutrophils, eosinophils and monocytes without a change in lymphocytes or basophils. RBC, hemoglobin and MCV increased. LDL-C decreased, while HDL-C increased. There was no change in total protein or albumin. These data suggest that this combination of a low calorie vegan diet and fasting may contribute to improve RA with little undesirable effects on the patient's general conditions.