Improvement of Inflammation and Pain after Three Months' Exclusion Diet in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether a diet excluding dairy (among other foods) could improve symptoms and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to a control diet.
Results Summary
The privative diet (excluding dairy, meat, and gluten) significantly reduced pain, improved physical and mental health, and lowered inflammation markers compared to the control diet, though both diets improved quality of life and metabolic parameters.
Population
40 patients with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis, overweight or obese, on stable drug treatment.
Effective Dosage
Not specified (dietary intervention).
Duration
3 months.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3-month diet avoiding meat, gluten, and lactose (and all dairy products; privative diet) | decrease | Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain | 40 patients with long-standing RA with stable symptoms and treated with conventional (c-) and biological (b-) disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) | - | significant decrease | #1 |
3-month diet avoiding meat, gluten, and lactose (and all dairy products; privative diet) | increase | overall state of physical and mental health assessed through SF-36 | 40 patients with long-standing RA with stable symptoms and treated with conventional (c-) and biological (b-) disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) | - | improvement | #2 |
3-month diet avoiding meat, gluten, and lactose (and all dairy products; privative diet) | increase | quality of life | 40 patients with long-standing RA with stable symptoms and treated with conventional (c-) and biological (b-) disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) | - | significant change | #3 |
both dietary regimens (privative diet and control balanced diet) | decrease | body weight | 40 patients with long-standing RA with stable symptoms and treated with conventional (c-) and biological (b-) disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) | - | significant decreases | #4 |
both dietary regimens (privative diet and control balanced diet) | decrease | body mass index | 40 patients with long-standing RA with stable symptoms and treated with conventional (c-) and biological (b-) disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) | - | significant decreases | #5 |
both dietary regimens (privative diet and control balanced diet) | decrease | waist and hips circumference | 40 patients with long-standing RA with stable symptoms and treated with conventional (c-) and biological (b-) disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) | - | reduction | #6 |
both dietary regimens (privative diet and control balanced diet) | decrease | basal glucose levels | 40 patients with long-standing RA with stable symptoms and treated with conventional (c-) and biological (b-) disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) | - | lower | #7 |
both dietary regimens (privative diet and control balanced diet) | decrease | circulating leptin levels | 40 patients with long-standing RA with stable symptoms and treated with conventional (c-) and biological (b-) disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) | - | lower | #8 |
privative diet | decrease | systolic blood pressure | 40 patients with long-standing RA with stable symptoms and treated with conventional (c-) and biological (b-) disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) | - | significantly reduce | #9 |
privative diet | decrease | inflammation | RA patients under stable optimized drug treatment | - | better control | #10 |
INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease affecting the synovial joints and causing severe disability. Environmental and lifestyle factors, including diet, have been proposed to play a role in the onset and severity of RA. Dietary manipulation may help to manage the symptoms of RA by lowering inflammation and potentially decreasing pain. METHODS: In 40 patients with long-standing RA with stable symptoms and treated with conventional (c-) and biological (b-) disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), the effect of a 3-month diet avoiding meat, gluten, and lactose (and all dairy products; privative diet) was evaluated in comparison with a control balanced diet including those foods. Both diets were designed to reduce weight since all patients were overweight or obese. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the diets, and RA was clinically assessed at Time 0 (T0), through the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), for pain, and the Disease Activity Score of 28 joints (DAS 28) for RA activity. Patients were also administered the Short Form Health survey (SF-36) and the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). At T0, a blood sample was collected for laboratory tests and adipokines measurements, and anthropometric measurements were compared. These evaluations were repeated at the end of the 3 months' dietary regimens. RESULTS: A significant decrease in VAS and the improvement of the overall state of physical and mental health, assessed through SF-36, was observed in patients assigned to the privative diet. Both dietary regimens resulted in the improvement of quality of life compared to baseline values; however, the change was significant only for the privative diet. With either diet, patients showed significant decreases in body weight and body mass index, with a reduction in waist and hips circumference and lower basal glucose and circulating leptin levels. A privative diet was also able to significantly reduce systolic ( CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that a privative diet can result in a better control of inflammation in RA patients under stable optimized drug treatment.